Margaret A. Bonds, Black Composer, Graduated from Northwestern University

Northwestern Luminaries, a blog on alumni of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has published a post on Margaret Allison Bonds which gives credit to Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music at Lawrence University, for his research on her life and career. Here is an excerpt:

“NU is fortunate to have among it's luminaries Margaret Allison Bonds, a highly accomplished composer, pianist, teacher and musical director. She is perhaps best known for her piano composition "Troubled Waters." She also composed some of our best-loved gospel songs such as "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Dry Bones," and "Lord, I Just Can't Keep From Cryin."

Margaret enrolled at NU in 1929 when she was only 16 years old, and stayed at Northwestern for her undergrad and Masters degrees. She was an incredible pianist, making her debut at New York's Town Hall in 1932, and performing a concertino at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. While a student at NU, she became the first African American to solo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933.” Full Post