LibGuides: Black Musics and Musicians: Home

Discover music by Black composers and performers

Use these web resources and the reference books listed on the left to discover Black composers and performers, and then try searching the Curtis Library catalog (roc.curtis.edu) to see if we have them. We also take requests to add items to our collection and to obtain items through interlibrary loan. Fill out this form to request an item: https://www.curtis.edu/academics/library/services2/request-an-item/

Composer Diversity Database
Created by the Institute for Composer Diversity. Offers search facets for gender and sexuality, race/ethnicity, region, genre, medium and location. Try browsing this database and then searching roc.curtis.edu for the composer.
No Broken Links
The No Broken Links directories are a starting point for scholars, performers, composers, and teachers to discover minority composers through solo and chamber repertoire for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, and Horn. The directories focus specifically on the work of women, transgender & gender non-conforming individuals, and/or Black, Indigenous, or persons of color.
36 Keys : A collection of piano works by Black composers
Contains videos of performers playing and talking about the pieces, and short biographies of each composer. Features Curtis faculty, students, and alumni, among other excellent artists and scholars. Sponsored by New World Symphony.
Black Composers resource at the Library of Congress
This excellent guide to finding works by Black composers was created by the Library of Congress. The Curtis Library owns many of the resources named here. Use this guide to discover music by Black composers, and then try finding items in our library catalog at roc.curtis.edu. Contact us at library@curtis.edu for more help.

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Tip: The Curtis Library uses the Library of Congress call number system, so you can use the call numbers listed in this resource to search for items in the Curtis Library catalog.
African American Classical Composers
A list from Wikipedia
Living Composers Directory
List of living Black composers and contact information. From the Music by Black Composers Project.
Books about Black composers
A bibliography from Music by Black Composers.
The Music of The Music of Black Americans
A companion to Eileen Southern's classic history The Music of Black Americans (also available in the Curtis library), this website offers information on all the pieces indexed in that book.
Eileen Southern and the Music of Black Americans
An online exhibition about Southern and her work.
19 African American Composers to Celebrate on Juneteenth (and Every Day of the Year)
From Thomas Wiggins to Florence Price to Jessie Montgomery. Article on WFMT blog.
Afrocentric Voices in "Classical" Music
From the website: "Afrocentric Voices focuses on classically trained American singers and composers of African descent and on the vocal music forms they influenced, especially opera and art songs–including Negro spirituals composed for concert performance."
African Origins and Adaptations in African American Music
A timeline of African American music with short blurbs composed by leading scholars in the field.