Camille Nickerson was a composer and Howard University professor. She arranged Creole folk songs and toured widely, earning the nickname “The Louisiana Lady.” Her work helped preserve Louisiana’s Black musical heritage. Camille Nickerson Bowing. Scurlock Studio Records. COURTESY OF SMITHSONIAN ARCHIVES OF AMERICAN ART
Shirley Graham Du Bois Born: 1896 – Died: 1977 A writer and composer, Du Bois was the first Black woman to produce an opera with an all- Black cast. Tom-Tom premiered in 1932 to over 25,000 people. She was also an activist and wife of W.E.B. Du Bois.
Florence Price Born: 1887 – Died: 1953 Florence Price was the first Black woman composer to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra. She studied at the New England Conservatory and remained active in Chicago’s music scene. Her work blended classical forms with African-American folk themes. Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her Symphony No. 1 in E minor in a concert titled “The Negro in Music.”
Chicago Symphony Orchestra program page for the June 15, 1933, concert.