Taryn Price

Florence Beatrice Price, born in 1887 in Little Rock, Arkansas, was a significant figure in American classical music. She was the first African-American woman to achieve recognition as a symphonic composer and to have a composition performed by a major orchestra. Price received her musical education at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she initially concealed her racial identity to overcome discrimination. Despite facing societal barriers, she became a prolific composer, creating over 300 works including symphonies, concertos, art songs, and chamber music.

Her career flourished in Chicago, where she was part of the Black Renaissance. Price's music often blended African-American spirituals and folk traditions with classical forms. A pivotal moment in her career was the 1933 performance of her Symphony in E minor by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a landmark achievement for Black composers. She also worked as an organist for silent films and composed music for advertisements under a pseudonym to support herself and her two daughters after divorcing her first husband. Her later years saw continued recognition, including induction into ASCAP and dedication of her spiritual arrangements to contralto Marian Anderson.

Born Florence Beatrice Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1887, she came from a respected mixed-race family. Her mother, a music teacher, provided her early musical training, and she gave her first piano performance at age four, with her first composition published at eleven. She graduated as valedictorian from a Catholic convent school at fourteen. Price then attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano pedagogy and organ performance, passing as Mexican to avoid racial prejudice. There, she studied composition with notable figures and wrote her first symphony and string trio, graduating with honors in 1906.

After teaching in Arkansas and Georgia, Florence Price married and moved back to Little Rock. Facing racial segregation and limited opportunities, the family relocated to Chicago in 1927 during the Great Migration. In Chicago, she became active in the Black Renaissance, further developing her compositional skills and studying with prominent musicians. Price gained early recognition for works like 'Fantasie nègre'. A major breakthrough occurred in 1933 when her Symphony in E minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making her the first African-American woman to have her music played by a major American orchestra. She continued to compose prolifically, receiving awards and having her concertos performed by various orchestras. She was inducted into ASCAP in 1940.

Florence Price married attorney Thomas J. Price in 1912, with whom she had two daughters. Following a period of abuse and financial struggles, she divorced in 1931 and later married Pusey Dell Arnett, though they separated. To support her family, Price worked as an organist for silent films and composed jingles for radio advertisements under a pen name. She lived with her friend and student, Margaret Bonds, a fellow pianist and composer, which connected her with influential figures like Langston Hughes and Marian Anderson. Price died in Chicago in 1953 at the age of 66 from a stroke.

Florence Price's music experienced a resurgence in recognition decades after her death, particularly after a significant collection of her works was discovered in her abandoned summer home in 2009. Her Symphony in E minor is considered a landmark achievement that helped break racial barriers in classical music venues. A Chicago elementary school was named in her honor, and various institutions and festivals now celebrate her contributions. Her work is noted for its incorporation of African-American spirituals and folk elements into traditional classical structures, offering a unique voice in American music.