William Grant Still, Little Rock composer

William Grant Still was the first African-American composer to have a symphony performed by an American orchestra.

He is part of a display of Arkansas artists now up at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi, and moved to Little Rock when he was a baby with his mother. He graduated as valedictorian from Gibbs High School in Little Rock in 1911.

Still had several other African-American musical firsts. He was the first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra, the first African-American to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television.

Read more about William Grant Still here. As always, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas has an excellent piece on the subject.