Florence Price’s resurgence is not merely a celebration of a forgotten genius—it’s an act of cultural reclamation
In the annals of classical music, the names most often celebrated—Bach, Beethoven, Brahms—form a canon that is overwhelmingly male and European. But hidden within America’s own musical history is the story of Florence Price, a trailblazing Black woman composer and pianist whose groundbreaking contributions to classical music were nearly lost to time. Only in recent years has Price begun to receive the recognition she long deserved, thanks in large part to a serendipitous discovery in an abandoned Illinois farmhouse in 2009.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1887, Florence Beatrice Price was a prodigious musical talent. She gave her first piano performance at the age of four and composed her first piece by eleven. Raised in a middle-class household—her mother was a music teacher and her father a dentist—Price grew up in a supportive environment that nurtured her gifts. Despite the oppressive realities of racism and sexism in the Jim Crow South, she earned a degree in organ and piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, one of the few prestigious institutions of its kind to accept Black students at the time.
Price returned to the South to teach, but after enduring racial violence and systemic discrimination, she moved with her family to Chicago during the Great Migration. There, she joined a vibrant Black cultural community that included literary figures like Langston Hughes and musicians like Margaret Bonds. It was in Chicago that Price came into her own as a composer, and where her most significant achievements would take shape.
In 1933, Florence Price made history when her Symphony No. 1 in E minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making her the first African American woman to have a composition performed by a major American orchestra. The symphony, which incorporates African American spirituals and rhythmic elements reminiscent of African drumming, was a stunning achievement that fused European classical tradition with distinctly American—specifically Black American—musical idioms.
Despite this milestone, Price’s music struggled to find a lasting place in the classical repertoire. Although she continued to compose prolifically—creating over 300 works including symphonies, concertos, art songs, spiritual arrangements, and chamber pieces—her work was marginalized. As a Black woman in a white, male-dominated field, she faced dual barriers of racism and sexism. She wrote in one letter to conductor Serge Koussevitzky, “I have two handicaps—those of sex and race. I am a woman; and I have some Negro blood in my veins.”
Price’s compositions were admired by contemporaries, but they were rarely performed widely. Over the decades, her name faded into obscurity. When she died in 1953, much of her work was scattered, unpublished, or lost.
Then came the extraordinary rediscovery. In 2009, a couple restoring an old, dilapidated summer house in St. Anne, Illinois stumbled upon a cache of musical manuscripts, letters, and scores in boxes and filing cabinets. Among them were long-lost compositions by Florence Price—some previously unknown, others thought to have been destroyed. The find included complete symphonies, piano concertos, and vocal works, many in her own hand.
This discovery sparked a renaissance of interest in Price’s music. Musicians, scholars, and institutions rushed to study, publish, and perform her compositions. Notably, the rediscovery led to renewed recordings and performances of her works by orchestras across the country. In 2019, the Philadelphia Orchestra performed Price’s Symphony No. 1, marking the first time the ensemble had performed a work by a Black woman in its 120-year history.
Price’s revival has also prompted broader conversations about the history and erasure of Black classical composers in America. While the contributions of African Americans to jazz, blues, and gospel are well-celebrated, their influence on classical music has been systematically minimized. Composers like William Grant Still, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and George Walker broke ground in their own right, yet their legacies have suffered similar neglect.
A growing number of musicians and scholars are working to rectify this historical oversight. Organizations such as the African American Classical Music Society and Castle of Our Skins are dedicated to performing and promoting works by Black composers. New generations of performers are championing their music on prestigious stages and in classrooms, helping to diversify and enrich the classical canon.
Florence Price’s resurgence is not merely a celebration of a forgotten genius—it’s an act of cultural reclamation. Her music speaks to the complexity of the American experience, weaving together spirituals, gospel, and classical forms to create something both unique and profoundly moving. In doing so, she challenged the very definitions of what American classical music could be.
Her story also underscores the importance of archival preservation and historical inquiry. That Price’s music was nearly lost—languishing in boxes in an abandoned house—serves as a sobering reminder of how easily cultural contributions can be erased. It prompts a reexamination of how institutions define value and legacy, and who gets to be remembered.
As orchestras and educational institutions increasingly commit to diversity and inclusion, Florence Price’s music has become a powerful symbol of what has been overlooked—and what can be regained. Her work is now taught in music conservatories, performed by top ensembles, and recorded by acclaimed artists, allowing new audiences to discover her profound voice.
In the end, Florence Price’s story is one of resilience, rediscovery, and redemption. It is a call to listen—truly listen—to the voices history tried to silence. And in her music, we find not only beauty and brilliance but a timeless testament to the enduring power of art to transcend barriers and affirm humanity.
Here’s a list of recommended recordings and performances of Florence Price’s work that offer a powerful introduction to her music and legacy:
🎼 Symphonies & Orchestral Works
- Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
- Performed by: Fort Smith Symphony, conducted by John Jeter
- Label: Naxos (2019)
- This was one of the first major commercial recordings that helped reignite interest in her orchestral music. The performances are faithful, warm, and well-paced.
- Florence Price: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor / Piano Concerto in One Movement
- Performed by: The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; pianist Michelle Cann
- Label: Deutsche Grammophon (2022)
- A stunning, polished recording by one of America’s top orchestras—this one helped bring Price to mainstream classical radio and playlists.
- Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 & 4
- Performed by: The Chineke! Orchestra, conducted by Roderick Cox
- Label: Decca Classics (2023)
- The Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, delivers dynamic, emotionally rich interpretations.
🎹 Chamber & Piano Music
- “Florence Price: The Piano Music”
- Performed by: Josh Tatsuo Cullen
- Label: Grand Piano (2022)
- Features lesser-known solo piano works that reveal her lyricism and harmonic imagination, influenced by spirituals and Romantic composers alike.
- “Vol. 1–3: Florence Price Piano Works”
- Performed by: Dr. Karen Walwyn
- Label: Albany Records
- Walwyn is a major champion of Price’s music and these albums include insightful interpretations and several world premiere recordings.
🎤 Vocal & Art Songs
- “Songs of Florence Price”
- Performed by: Various Artists (sopranos and baritones from the African American Art Song Alliance)
- Label: G. Schirmer (sheet music publisher) has made many of these songs accessible, and recordings can be found through YouTube and classical vocal recitals.
- Her art songs, including “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord” and “Sympathy”, blend classical European form with African American poetic and spiritual traditions.
📺 Recommended Performances (Streaming/YouTube)
- Michelle Cann performing Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement (Philadelphia Orchestra, 2021):
A standout live performance that brought her piano music to a large audience. Michelle Cann is one of today’s foremost interpreters of Price’s work. - Chineke! Orchestra performing Symphony No. 1 (BBC Proms 2021):
A landmark performance at one of the world’s most prestigious classical festivals, available on YouTube and BBC archives. - Price’s Adoration for Organ and Strings – often played in recitals and church services, this serene and spiritually charged piece is now a favorite among organists.