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Black Composers in Classical Music

A research guide for finding recordings, music, and information on classical music written by black composers.

Biographical Databases

*Temple University authentication only.

Try searching these databases for biographical information on Black composers.

Collage logo for African American Biographical Database

Black Studies Center - contains content previously found at African American Biographical Database, including Black Biographical Dictionaries 1790-1950, and Black Biography 1790-1950.  

 

 

 

American National Biography Logo: Billie Holiday, Albert Einstein, Jacqueline Kennedy, Malcolm X

American National Biography is a standard reference work for information about the lives of significant persons in American history.

 

 

 

Biography In Context logoBiography Resource Center (Biography in Context) provides biographies of hundreds of thousands of men and women from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. The entries are drawn from a long list of standard biographical reference works including:

  • American Eras
  • Contemporary Authors
  • Dictionary of American Biography 

 

Biography of Black Composers - Selected Bibliography