Florence Price

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Florence Beatrice Smith began her musical journey early, graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1906 with a double major in organ and piano. She was, to put it mildly, a prodigy, who despite the era's inherent resistance to women, and Black women at that, still managed to get herself properly educated and noticed. A feat in itself.

Price's claim to fame, beyond being an excellent musician, lies in her groundbreaking achievements: the first symphony by an African-American woman performed by a major orchestra (the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933). This was a monumental stride, not just for classical music, but for women and Black artists in a deeply segregated America. We're talking about a time when 'classical composer' and 'Black woman' were rarely, if ever, found in the same sentence, let alone in the same person.

Her compositions blended European Romantic traditions with spirituals and Juba dance rhythms, creating a uniquely American sound. Imagine, if you will, the orchestral equivalent of a gumbo, rich with diverse flavors, all cooked up by a woman who refused to stay in the kitchen. She wrote over 300 works, but only a fraction were published during her lifetime, a testament to the persistent hurdles she faced.

While Florence Price may not have been Jewish, her struggle for recognition in a historically exclusionary field certainly resonates. And her undeniable talent and enduring legacy bring Kvell-worthiness points for sheer perseverance and artistic brilliance, even if it's not our nachas she's inspiring. Her music, thankfully, is experiencing a much-deserved resurgence.