Comment at LIFE.com: 'William Grant Still was also an All-American Composer.'

[LIFE.com: William Grant Still. (Photo: Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images Jan. 01, 1955)]

LIFE Magazine

LIFE.com

“William Grant Still (1895 - 1978), Composer

Known as the 'Dean of American Negro Composers,' William Grant Still became the first African-American composer to conduct a major American symphony orchestra when he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936.”

Comments

wzick - #6 - March 21, 2011 10:42 AM EST

“William Grant Still was also an All-American Composer. When a committee listened to samples of music at a radio network, to select a composer for the theme for the 1939 New York World's Fair, it did not know the names of the composers until it had selected two compositions as those of suitable candidates for writing the theme. Both of the selections turned out to be by William Grant Still. The theme composed by William Grant Still was played countless times at the World's Fair. The complete works of William Grant Still have been compiled by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma and presented at AfriClassical.com. Naxos has recorded Still's Symphonies 1, 4 and 5, and the Fort Smith Symphony will record Symphonies 2 and 3 for Naxos in April. Later this year, the label will complete its collection of all 5 of Still's symphonies. The composer's Miniatures have been recorded recently by Helix Collective, Serafin String Quartet and Allégresse. Judith Anne Still is the composer's daughter and manager of the unique William Grant Still Music store, which preserves Still's legacy by selling recordings, sheet music and books at williamgrantstill.com.”