composeHERS
About Her
Rachel Eubanks (1922–2006): Composer, Educator, and Musical Visionary
Rachel Eubanks was an African American composer, pianist, and educator whose work enriched American classical music. Born in San Jose, California, she studied at the University of California and earned a master’s degree from Columbia University—an extraordinary accomplishment for a Black woman in mid-20th-century America.
A passionate music educator, Eubanks founded the Eubanks Conservatory of Music and Arts in Los Angeles, a pioneering institution dedicated to training young musicians from underserved communities. Through her leadership, she mentored generations of artists, combining technical rigor with cultural pride.
Her compositional voice was elegant and lyrical, favoring tonal clarity over avant-garde abstraction. Works like Spring Intermezzo, Sonata for Violin and Piano, and Sacred Cantata reflect her classical grounding and emotional depth, while subtly weaving in African American musical influences.
Though she kept a low public profile, Eubanks’s impact was profound. She championed inclusive arts education and helped dismantle racial barriers in classical music spaces. Her influence extended through her compositions, her students, and her work with national arts organizations committed to equity.
Rachel Eubanks’s legacy lives on in her music and in the institutions she built. She remains a vital figure in American music history—a quiet trailblazer who composed not only notes, but opportunity.