William Grant Still

William Grant Still
Portrait by Carl Van Vechten, 1949
Born
William Grant Still Jr.

(1895-05-11)May 11, 1895
Woodville, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedDecember 3, 1978(1978-12-03) (aged 83)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education
Occupations
  • Composer
  • conductor
Spouses
  • Grace Bundy
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1915; div. 1939)​
  • ​
    (m. 1939)​
Children6
RelativesCeleste Headlee (granddaughter)
Signature

William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, art songs, chamber music, and solo works. Born in Mississippi and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas,[1] Still attended Wilberforce University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music[2][3] as a student of George Whitefield Chadwick and then Edgard Varèse.[4] Because of his close association and collaboration with prominent African-American literary and cultural figures, Still is considered to be part of the Harlem Renaissance.

Often referred to as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers," Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera.[5] He is known primarily for his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930),[6] which was, until 1950, the most widely performed symphony composed by an American.[7] Still was able to become a leading figure in the field of American classical music as the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, have an opera performed by a major opera company, and have an opera performed on national television.[8] The papers of Still and his second wife, the librettist and writer Verna Arvey, are currently held by the University of Arkansas.[9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Still, Dabrishus & Quin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Shirely, Wayne. Two Aspects of Troubled Island (PDF). American Music Research Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Thurman, Kira (August 27, 2021). "When Europe Offered Black Composers an Ear – Spurned by institutions in America, artists were sometimes given more opportunities across the Atlantic". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "Biographical Sketch of William Grant Still". library.duke.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  8. ^ Woolfe, Zachary (September 23, 2021). "A Black Composer Finally Arrives at the Metropolitan Opera". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference murchison was invoked but never defined (see the help page).