In celebration of Black History Month, we commemorate Black musicians and their contributions to the world of classical music. From the Middle Ages to modern day, listen and read about the stories of five extraordinary musicians below!

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John Blanke (fl. 1501-1511)

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We don’t know the exact time period John Blanke would have lived, but surviving documents mention him at the beginning of the 16th century. The trumpet player was a royal court musician for both King Henry VII and King Henry VIII. He is depicted in the 1511 Westminster Tournament Roll, making him the first person of African decent in British history for whom an image and documentation exist. From records of the time, we know he was paid 16 pence as a senior trumpeter – an impressive sum that was a testament to his musicality over his many years of service.

Dinah Bowman Lew (1744-1837)

Born a slave in Massachusetts, Dinah’s husband Barzillai—who was a free Black man—purchased her freedom in 1766. Following her husband’s service in the Revolutionary War, the couple and their 13 children were known for their musical talents in Massachusetts and the surrounding New England area. Dinah may be the first African American woman pianist in American history. Sadly there are no existing portraits of Dinah, but her amazing journey from a formerly enslaved person to famous pianist are well documented.

Henry Burleigh (December 2, 1866-September 12, 1949)

Henry Burleigh grew up in the church in Erie, Pennsylvania and was a dedicated church musician for most of his life. As a skilled baritone, he received a scholarship to study at the National Conservatory of Music in New York. During his time as a student, Henry became friends with famed composer Antonín Dvorák, the conservatory’s director. The Czech composer drew inspiration from the African American spirituals and plantation songs Burleigh learned from his grandfather, a former enslaved person. These themes famously appear in Dvorák’s Symphony no. 9 in E minor “From the New World.” His arrangement of “Deep River” is one of his best-known works.

Julia Perry (March 25, 1924-April 29, 1979)

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Julia Perry showed promise as a young musician when quickly picked up violin and later piano. After attending the Westminster Choir College, she would study composition with famed pedagogue Nadia Boulanger at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau in Paris, winning the Prix Fontainebleau with her Viola Sonata. Perry wrote music for a variety of ensembles, including 13 symphonies and three operas. She would receive two Guggenheim Fellowships during the course of her composing career, showing her skill in her craft. Perry’s unique style employs the use of Baroque techniques and complex textures.

George Walker (June 27, 1922-August 23, 2018)

Growing up in Washington D.C., George Walker began taking piano lessons from his mother at the age of 5. He was one of the first Black graduates of the Curtis Institute of Music and studied with famed composer Samuel Barber during his time as a student. A natural trailblazer, he would become the first Black musician to play New York’s Town Hall, the first Black instrumentalist to play solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the first Black recipient of a doctorate from from the Eastman School of Music, the first Black tenured faculty member at Smith College and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His composition style utilizes a variety of genres including spirituals, blues and jazz.

Sources

• https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/blanke-john-16th-century/
• https://www.johnblanke.com/about.html
• https://www.alternativeclassical.co.uk/features/black-composers
• https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/john-blanke/#gs.3eo1yd
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bowman-8252
• https://windhamnhhistory.org/2021/03/04/windham-life-and-times-march-5-2021/
• https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035730
• https://www.bostoncecilia.org/beyond-the-score/2023/2/6/a-new-world-friendship-dvok-and-burleigh
• https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/julia-perry-american-neoclassicist
• https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/perry-julia-amanda-1924-1979/
• https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/george-walker-first-black-composer-pulitzer-prize-music/
• https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/george-walker-african-american-composer
• https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2018/08/24/641606061/george-walker-trailblazing-american-composer-dies-at-96

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