It is a little-known fact that Black composers and musicians have made enduring contributions to classical music since Mozart's day. Marie-Antoniette's music director was Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), the son of an African slave on a West Indies plantation.

Ludwig van Beethoven composed the Kreutzer Sonata for a Black violinist named George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower (c.1780-1860) and accompanied him on piano at the work's premiere in Vienna in 1803.

These are just two of the dozens of composers and musicians of African descent who are profiled along with examples of their recorded works at my Web site,
http://www.Africlassical.com

I hope forum members will pay a visit to the site.

I know this is a promotion that shouldn't really be here, but I do appreciate this, I've never known of a black classical composer that I can think of because of course of the limitations that were allowed at that time...thanks!

I didn't know of a Black classical composer myself until ten years ago. For 30 years I had known only of white composers. Then the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, my local symphony, released two CDs on the Chandos label with classical works of William Levi Dawson, Duke Ellington and William Grant Still.

I was amazed at what I had been misssing. Both recordings remain favorites today, particularly for Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony".

My Web site is a non-profit educational site which does not accept advertising, so it is my belief that the thread is proper.

I never heard of any Black Classical Composers . I will check the site out .

did you say duke ellington? well, I just associate him with Jazz

I too associated Duke Ellington only with jazz until I saw his Suite from "The River" on Chandos 9154 (1993), and his orchestral work "Harlem" on Chandos 9226 (1993). Since then I have seen his chamber music on other CDs. For more information on his classical side see the Composers of African Descent page of www.Africlassical.com

A somewhat similar situation exists for Scott Joplin, known to most people only for his great ragtime compositions. About three years ago I learned he had also written three operas as well. One of them is "Treemonisha", which is available on an original cast CD on DG. Joplin is profiled on the Musicians of African Descent page of my site.

Both Ellington and Joplin sought recognition as classical composers but were denied it in their lifetimes.

had no idea that Joplin seeked that, nor wrote operas...of course I only associated him with the Rags, as well as Jelly Roll Morton, thanks for the info, I'll check it out

Don't forget about James DePreist! Great conductor.

Duke didn't like being called a "Jazz Musician."