African American musicians

Scope and Contents The Hale Smith papers cover the length of Smith's musical career, documenting his education at the Cleveland Institute of Music; his early career in Cleveland, particularly with the Karamu Theatre; his move to New York where he worked the jazz circuit with Dizzy Gillepsie and Chico Hamilton before he settled into his career as a music editor, an educator, and a copyright specialist; and the relationships he developed over time up to shortly before his death. Hale Smith maintained a...

Content Description The papers primarily document the life of Howard Swanson and his contribution to classical music history. The papers are of interest for studying African American composers and more specifically Black scholars of operatic and classical music. Formats in the collection include correspondence, financial records, memorabilia and programs of Swanson’s performances. The bulk of the collection consists of sheet music manuscripts, including several unpublished works. Additionally, the papers...