John Malveaux: William Grant Still was born May 11, 1895; his Symphony No 2 will be performed November 11, 2017 by Long Beach Symphony Orchestra

William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

John Malveaux of 

www.MusicUNTOLD.com  

writes:

Often referred to as the Dean of African American composers, William Grant Still was born May 11, 1895. William Grant Still's Symphony No 2 in G Minor "Song of A New Race" will be performed November 11, 2017 during Long Beach Symphony Orchestra Veteran Day Concert.  Still embraced the blues, spirituals, jazz, and other ethnic American music within classical forms. Symphony No 2 depicts his vision of African Americans living in an integrated 1936-7 society.  His earlier Afro American Symphony "represented the Negro of days not far removed from the Civil War".  To heighten awareness of the career and achievements of WGS, MusicUNTOLD will present a FREE display, lecture, and Q&A September 9, 2017 at Michelle Obama Library in Long Beach, Ca. The lecture will feature Lance Bowling-Cambria Music and California State University Long Beach professor and pianist Althea Waites. Althea Waites met William Grant Still as a student at Xavier University in New Orleans. She has recorded WGS piano music on Cambria Music