Linda Holzer, music professor at UA Little Rock, and Andrew Grams, conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor of the Arkansas Symphony, will discuss the music of a pair of notable Arkansas composers who grew up in Little Rock, Florence Price and William Grant Still.

The talk will begin at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Sturgis Hall at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

As part of the Clinton School Speaker Series, discussion will celebrate the lives and legacy of Price and Still in advance of the Beethoven & Blue Jeans concert Nov. 9-10, which pairs music by Price and Still with Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.”

Price is a Little Rock native who became the first African-American woman composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American orchestra, and was one of the first African-American classical composers to gain international attention.  After her first symphony received its world premiere by the Chicago Symphony, she was commissioned by Britain’s famed Sir John Barbirolli for an orchestral work. 

Still, born in Mississippi, moved in infancy to Little Rock with his mother after his father’s tragic death from typhoid. He graduated as valedictorian of M.W. Gibbs High School in 1911. During his successful musical career, Still conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other orchestras, earned two Guggenheim Fellowships and honorary doctorates from Oberlin College and Pepperdine University.

All Clinton School Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling 501-683-5239.