Adoration

About the composer

Celebrated American composer Florence Price was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887. She studied organ and piano in New England and was highly regarded as a composer in the early part of the 20th century. Price returned to Arkansas after her formal studies, but ultimately left fearing racial violence. She moved to Chicago in 1927. Shortly after the move, Price gained national recognition as a composer, winning the Rodman Wanamaker composition competition in 1932. In 1933, Price became the first African-American woman to have her work performed by a major American orchestra (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). She died in Chicago in 1953. Although Price was recognized as a significant composer during her lifetime, interest in her work waned after her death. Then, in 2009, Florence Price’s manuscripts were unearthed during a home renovation. The past 14 years have seen an incredible revival of Price’s music. Her catalogue was subsequently acquired by publisher G. Schirmer, and her work is now performed internationally.