Florence Price was a pioneering African American composer whose music fused African American spirituals and folk idioms with European classical traditions. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, she was a prodigious pianist and composer who went on to study at the New England Conservatory—one of the few Black women in her time to do so.
 

In 1933, her Symphony No. 1 in E minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making her the first African American woman to have a work played by a major U.S. orchestra. The symphony’s lush harmonies and incorporation of Black musical themes marked a turning point in American concert music.
 

Price composed over 300 works, including Piano Concerto in One Movement, Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint, Dances in the Canebrakes, Songs to the Dark Virgin, and Symphony No. 3. Her style is lyrical, rhythmically vibrant, and emotionally rich—grounded in her cultural heritage and personal resilience.
 

Though immensely talented, Price faced racism and sexism that kept her from widespread recognition during her lifetime. She often had to navigate around institutional exclusion and published some of her work under ambiguous names. Still, she remained prolific, supported by Black artistic communities and performers like Marian Anderson.
 

In recent years, Florence Price’s music has experienced a long-overdue revival, with orchestras, soloists, and scholars reclaiming her legacy. Her compositions speak with a uniquely American voice—sophisticated, soulful, and historically vital.

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