It took nearly 90 years for her to become an overnight success.

Florence Price was the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. Her Symphony No. 1 was played by the Chicago Symphony, conducted by Frederick Stock, in 1933.

But it’s only fairly recently, after decades of comparative neglect, that her music has finally begun to gain traction. Now she’s being played everywhere.

Is her sudden popularity a result of social or political trends? Who cares? When the music is this beautiful, everyone wins.

The Chicago Symphony plays Price in 2021 – the Andante Moderato for string orchestra, after a Quartet in G major:

Happy birthday, Florence Price.

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