As we celebrate Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, we’ve had the pleasure of recognizing both extraordinary talent and the broader triumphs against discrimination and exclusion in the pursuit of artistic excellence. Florence Price (1887–1953) was a trailblazer in this effort, an artist who defied the racial and gender barriers prevalent in her time to become the first African American woman recognized as a symphonic composer.
Her timeless impact challenges historical constraints and underscores the vital contributions of both Black individuals and women to the world of classical music, and we are honored to present her works on a global scale so that her legacy may endure.
Read on to discover modern presentations of Price’s oeuvre from PARMA Artists on Navona and Big Round Records.
WALTZES AND CHARACTER PIECES OF FLORENCE PRICE
Michael Clark
Michael Clark’s knowledge and reverence for Florence Price shines in WALTZES & CHARACTER PIECES OF FLORENCE PRICE. Clark’s respect and intimate understanding of these elegant piano works is evident in his delicate treatment of each passage down to the single note.
“WALTZES AND CHARACTER PIECES OF FLORENCE PRICE highlights Price’s graceful and melodious writing for piano in the romantic tradition. It is merely one facet of her expansive and varied oeuvre, and I hope that listeners will be inspired to further explore the music of this groundbreaking American artist.”
Pianist Michael Clark
WALTZES AND CHARACTER PIECES OF FLORENCE PRICE
Clark hopes that the fragment of her vast repertoire showcased in WALTZES & CHARACTER PIECES OF FLORENCE PRICE will implore listeners to further explore her works, continuing to give Price her long overdue flowers.
ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY
Gerry Bryant
True to form in uplifting the world of times past, Gerry Bryant honors the work of composer Florence Price in five delightful recordings, Price’s Honeysuckle at Dusk leading the Big Round Records album into its titular work, One Day I’ll Fly Away. Bryant reflects on his love of music today, tomorrow, and in the forever he hopes to fly to, leaving behind his music for the world to enjoy.
ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY
Gerry Bryant’s ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY is a map of the passage of time explored through a blend of classical, jazz, and popular music arrangements for piano.
Bryant’s reverence for Price is also highlighted in his 2023 Navona Records release, THE COMPOSERS, where he presents three of the composer’s works alongside music by other exceptionally talented and prolific Black classical music composers who have been overlooked throughout history.
THE COMPOSERS
THE COMPOSERS is an album consisting solely of music by exceptionally talented and prolific Black classical music composers who have been overlooked throughout history.
INVOCATION
Véronique Mathieu, Stephanie Chua
Véronique Mathieu and Stephanie Chua’s delicate, tender, and thoughtful performances solidify INVOCATION as a function of its title; a message to the women of this collection to step forward and shine. The album presents two works by Price, the energetic, spritely, and lyrical Elfentanz and the Fantasy No. 2 in F-Sharp minor, a European concert fantasy with blues influences and chromatic melodies in the solo violin.
INVOCATION
INVOCATION is a collection of works for violin and piano written by female-identifying composers of unique heritages, backgrounds, and cultures with a wide range of aesthetics and a variety of compositional eras.
MOTHER TALES
Sunmi Chang, Clara Yang
MOTHER TALES pays tribute to four remarkable women composers including Price, whose Fantasie No. 1 in G Minor for Violin and Piano receives a remarkable performance by Sunmi Chang and Clara Yang. Price beautifully synthesizes the harmonic and melodic characters of the African American folksong with the western post-Romantic harmonic language in this piece.
“Her music is always natural and moving. As we go through these sections of contrasting moods and characters, we experience a journey of reflections, memories, and discoveries.”
Pianist Clara Yang
MOTHER TALES
MOTHER TALES pays tribute to four remarkable women composers – Florence Price, Gabriela Lena Frank, Liliya Ugay, and Amy Beach.
LUZ
Amaro Dubois, Tingting Yao
Luz means light, and light is what violist Amaro Dubois claims we are missing the most in this world of today. Dubois aims to change this with LUZ, an album featuring two works by Price: Elfentanz and The Deserted Garden.
The latter mixes different musical traditions to make a very welcoming and warm piece. Her sonorous writing is full of life, with her use of modal harmony and influences from blues and jazz music standing front and center throughout.
LUZ
Above all, Dubois aims to share passion, love, and peace, three qualities that undoubtedly shine throughout LUZ.
See Dubois and Yao perform Price’s The Deserted Garden in this video.