Florence Price

Florence Price was a successful Black woman composer at a time when that was almost impossible. She worked hard and sought out people who believed in her. Eventually, she became the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra.

Born Florence Smith in 1887, she grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, attending segregated schools. Her mother, a piano teacher, encouraged her daughter’s interest in music. The famous music school called New England Conservatory of Music, in Boston, welcomed Black students. This was not the case at every school, so Florence was lucky to be accepted. She earned a degree in piano and then another in organ, as well as learning how to compose music.