Found 6 collections related to African American conductors (Music)

"Billy" Butler was a musical arranger, conductor, violinist, and travel editor of the Pittsburgh Courier. A graduate of Chicago Musical College, Butler worked with J. Rosamond Johnson, Eubie Blake, and other prominent African American musicians of the period. He also conducted several musical revues, including Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1939, Rhapsody in Black, and Sissle and Blake's Shuffle Along. In 1947, Butler started Travelguide, a directory of public accommodations in the United States which catered to people of African descent. The list was later expanded to include foreign countries. Butler was also co-owner of King Travel Organization, Inc., a New York City agency which specifically catered to travelers of African descent. The William H. Butler papers include correspondence and printed material relating to Butler's musical career; articles by Butler on African American music and musicians; a scrapbook containing reviews of the Lew Leslie musicals in which he appeared; orchestral parts for Blackbirds of 1939 and Rhapsody in Black; holograph scores by Butler; a folder of lyrics; and a playscript by Butler entitled "Let's Forget Papa". less

James Reese Europe was an accomplished musician, composer, conductor, organizer, and recording artist. The collection primarily consists of photocopied secondary sources, newspaper clippings, and programs collected by James R. Europe, Jr. to document his father's accomplishments. less

The Harlem Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by Karl Hampton Porter in 1970, was a community symphony orchestra dedicated to training new musicians from underrepresented communities in the New York City area. After the orchestra's decline in the mid-1980s, Porter collaborated with brothers Ed and George Tooks to re-establish the orchestra as the Harlem Symphony Orchestra. The collection features press materials, correspondence, and administrative records pertaining to the founding and eventual re-emergence of the Harlem Philharmonic Orchestra. less

Musician, composer, conductor, organizer, and recording artist James Reese Europe (February 22, 1880 - May 9, 1919) was a pioneer of the ragtime and jazz genres, and the first African American officer to lead combat troops into battle. The collection contains four audio recordings of music relating to Europe's career as a musician, dating from circa 1919-1920. less