February 2018 marks the 43rd observance of Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, in the United States. While African American history should be taught and honored all year round, the celebration of Black History Month allows us to pay special tribute to the monumental struggles and triumphs of generations of African Americans.
In the words of President Gerald Ford in 1976, on the first observance of Black History Month, “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” One such ‘area of endeavor’ is the world of classical music composition. A key aim of Sphinx is to empower current composers of color and introduce more of their works, as well as the works of those who paved the way before them, into the lexicon of popularly performed pieces.
Though hardly an exhaustive list, these seven significant classical composers of color have made unique and groundbreaking contributions to the industry, and we salute them during this important month of learning and reflection.
