02/20/2026
Join us Saturday and hear William Grant Still's first symphony, "Afro-American". If you love the Blues, you'll love this piece!
One of the most popular American symphonies of all time, this work is considered the first symphony written by an African American and performed for a United States audience by a leading orchestra. This work is heavily inspired by the Blues as Still's attempt to address the racial bias against jazz and the Blues during his lifetime. In his journal, Still noted that the real power behind the Blues is not in the lyrics, but in the "pathos of their melodic content [which] bespeaks the anguish of human hearts." Still was troubled by the white attitude towards Black composers, and wanted to reach a new audience through a symphony, without relinquishing his passion for jazz and the Blues. He was deeply inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, particularly Alain Locke's vision for him to create the "Great Black Art". While writing the piece, Still commented "I seek in the 'Afro-American Symphony' to portray not the higher type of colored American, but the sons of the soil, who still retain so many of the traits peculiar to their African forebears; who have not responded completely to the transforming effect of progress."
Tickets are still available at https://georgiaphilharmonic.org/season.../the-uncommon-woman with discounts for students, seniors, and families.
