William Grant Still : A Study in Contradictions

During the 1930s and 1940s William Grant Still was known as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers".

He worked as an arranger for early radio, on Broadway, and in Hollywood; major symphony orchestras performed his concert works; and an opera, written in collaboration with Langston Hughes, was produced by the New York City Opera.

Despite these successes the composer's name gradually faded into obscurity.

This text brings William Grant Still out of the archives and examines his place in America's musical heritage.

Still's profound musical creativity and cultural awareness have been obscured by the controversies that dogged much of his personal and professional life.