Performers of Classical, Symphonies, Ragtime and Operas
Blues, Gospel, Soul and Jazz. These are the genres in which we think of when it comes to African American performers of music. Those Black artists are recognized for their historic role in American popular music. What about the performers of classical, symphonies, ragtime and operas? We don't realize that approximately 1.8% of musicians in American Orchestras are Black, according to a 2014 study by the League of American Orchestras. African Americans in Operas, and Symphonies are not new, they have been around since the 18th century. For instance, there is Joseph Bologne, dubbed the "Black Mozart", he is remembered as the first classical composer of African origins. Its not that we don't appreciate them, its only because we as Black folks don't know or hear music about Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, etc.
The symphonies and operas, the music before, mainstream blues and jazz played by Black musicians have been largely ignored, overlook or simply just not known. For much of America’s musical history, classical music was considered largely the province of White artists. The prevailing belief was that African-American artists lacked the intellectual capacity and emotional maturity to create music of any artistic depth. There have been numerous Black composers of classical, symphonies and operas. Obviously not as many as in other genres of music such as Blues, Jazz and R&B/Soul. It's easy to name several names from each of these genres, that all of us have listen to at one time or another. Nevertheless, I present a few of those composers and musicians of classical, opera, ragtime and symphonies that many of us have been downplayed or erased.
When you refer to this genre you probably have a hard time naming them on one hand. Composers of symphonies, operas, classical and ragtime have contributed heavily to foster African American culture in musical form. Traditionally, classical music performances focused on a small circle of White, male artists, ignoring female and non-White composers. The success and impact of the artists that are profiled are remarkable. They endured the challenges from the days of slavery through the Jim Crow era when segregation was the law of the land. They along with many other were denied their civil rights and faced racism and sexism.
These artists are not often mentioned when it comes to musicians of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Chick Webb. That doesn't mean that they were not part of the Harlem Renaissance. When it comes to music, the Harlem Renaissance is remembered for the contributions of blues and jazz musicians rather than for classical or operatic compositions. This means that Harry Lawrence Freeman, Harry T. Burleigh, and Nora Douglas Holt are not mentioned in the same breath. I'm distinguishing them from the Harlem Renaissance musicians to put the focus on Black opera, symphony and classical artists. Let's face it, we just don't know as much about them as we do a Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Count Basie, Bessie Smith and, well the list can go on and on.
