Have you heard about these Black Musicians?

Among the Classical performers and composers, many have succeeded to become part of the story of music. As a piano student,  surely you have heard names such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn or Chopin. But how about the forgotten voices of Classical music? Even piano teachers never heard of them!

https://www.piano-composer-teacher-london.co.uk/post/forgotten-voices-of-classical-music

There are many names that for some reason, turn into oblivion, and in this article, Anna Ortiz Wienken wanted to remember their great contribution to music.

The first on our list is Joseph Bologne, born in 1745  and died in 1799. He was an accomplished composer, keyboard player and overall, an impressive improvisator. Joseph had immediate acclaim and even gained international recognition, Kings from all across Europe travelled many kilometres only to attend a single one hour concert of this fantastic pianist.

The second extraordinary musician is George Bridgetower (1778 – 1860)  He was a violinist and was considered one of the best players in the quartet of the Emperor. He was so popular Beethoven dedicated a full Sonata to his name, “Kreutzer” Violin Sonata No.9.

There many more on our list, such as William Grant, who implemented African- American themes to the classical formed operas, resulting in an unusual and exotic clash of sounds and colours.

Perhaps among the least known of the famous musicians, Scott Joplin is the most recognised among the unknown composers and performers: Pieces like Solace and The Entertainer are still heard nowadays, and his impeccable piano technique was recognised by music literates of his time.

The intention behind the creation of this shortlist of talented musicians is to create some awareness of the many forgotten through time, but nevertheless, contributed greatly to the evolution of music, and many had to fight against the hatred of their times, sadly, feeling that even today we see in the world. Many black voices have been barred from the classical to the modern music period, and many of us we don’t know. Hence we never get to acknowledge the power of these ideas and voices

Here we share an example of the talent of Joseph Bologne.