American composer William Grant Still (1895-1978), pictured in 1949. He was the first African-American composer to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra (his Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American" in 1931), the first to have an opera produced by a major opera company (Troubled Island in 1949), and the first to have an opera performed on television (A Bayou Legend broadcast in 1981).

American composer William Grant Still (1895-1978), pictured in 1949. He was the first African-American composer to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra (his Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American" in 1931), the first to have an opera produced by a major opera company (Troubled Island in 1949), and the first to have an opera performed on television (A Bayou Legend broadcast in 1981).. Learn more.