In Focus: Julia Perry

A singular figure in both 20th Century Classical music, and Black American music, the compositions of Julia Perry could have easily been lost in the drifts of time. Born in Akron, Ohio in 1927, Perry made a name for herself in her twenties composing European neo-classical music with a unique twist, referencing African American and Black spiritual music traditions. In the 1940s and 1950s, she bravely cut a path through a space not designed for her, penning an expansive array of compositions from opera, chamber music, and choral, to orchestral and solo works. She found wider acclaim following a move to Italy in 1951, where her fluency in Italian and sensitivity to the operatic style awed European audiences and earned her awards, fellowships, and – seemingly – recognition from the establishment. However, following her return to a segregated US in the 1960s, Perry discovered many doors were closed to her, and she struggled to continue in the trajectory the previous decade had promised her. Following a series of strokes, she lost the use of her right arm. Learning to write with her left hand, she continued to compose, but would never again reach her previous career highs. Julia Perry passed away in 1979 – sadly, her name fell into obscurity. Contemporary recordings were rare, and confusion surrounding copyright prevented her work from being performed live. In recent years, new copyright agreements means her work is reaching new audiences for the first time ever.