Composer George Walker (1922-2018) became the first African-American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1996 for his composition Lilacs, a meditation on the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln set to a text by Walt Whitman. He was born on June 27, 1922 in Washington, D.C., attended Oberlin College in Ohio at the age of 15 and went to Curtis Institute of Music conservatory in Philadelphia where he became the first African-American graduate. After that, he studied under French composer Nadia Boulanger for two years. Walker composed works for several prestigious groups, including the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony. Unfortunately, while Walker started to receive notoriety, his work was often over shadowed by the work of white composers. As a person of color in the mid-20th century, he faced adversity when trying to distribute his work. His music was known for infusing contemporary classical stylings, African spirituals, and jazz. Later in life, Walker became an educator, teaching at New York’s New School, Rutgers University, University of Colorado, the Peabody Institute in Maryland, University of Delaware, and Smith College. Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington, D.C. named June 17th “George Walker Day” in 1997.
George Walker
Studios
Schelling
George Walker worked in the Schelling studio.
Marian MacDowell funded construction of this studio the year that the organization was established and the first artists arrived for residency. It was called Bark Studio until 1933, when it was renamed in honor of Ernest Schelling, a composer, pianist, and orchestral leader who served as president of what was then called the Edward MacDowell…