Florence Price
1887–1953 (age 66)
Composer
Biography
Florence Price was a pioneering composer whose symphonies and songs artfully blended European classical techniques with African American spirituals. Breaking barriers as the first Black woman to have a composition played by a major orchestra, she won acclaim for her expressive melodies and rich orchestration.
Her oeuvre, rediscovered by later generations, testifies to her trailblazing spirit and enduring contribution to American music.