George Walker was born in Washington DC, his father a Jamaican immigrant, and his mother an educator. Walker began learning piano at the age of 5, and quickly grew to love the instrument. Hoping to become a concert pianist, Walker graduated high school at the age of 14, enrolled in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and practiced tirelessly every day! After these long hours of practicing, needing to wind down and let his mind and music wander, Walker discovered his new love: composition.
Although he was a brilliant performer and composer, due to his skin color, it was difficult for Walker to have his music published or performed. However, all it took was one person to believe in him: he developed a friendship with Paul Kapp, founder of the General Music Publishing Company, who worked to have many of Walker’s pieces published, performed, and reviewed, helping the young musician rocket his career into action.
Walker doesn’t let his compositions fit in the limitations of one music style, and he incorporates many different influences in his works. This includes the sacred and spiritual music from his childhood, as well as the classical, Neo-romantic, and 12-tonal ideas from the Western Classical tradition. When listening to his compositions, his music is warm and beautiful, but also playful and curious at times. He balances rich, romantic textures with more modernist, post-tonal techniques, making his music a joy to listen to.
Despite being considered one of the greatest American composers, Walker faced many difficulties in struggling against the racial stigmas of American society. He broke many glass ceilings as the 1st Black graduate of the famed Curtis institute of Music, as well as being the 1st Black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize, but somehow, he still finds it difficult to be programmed on concerts other than “Black Composer” themed concerts. The world of Classical Music still has a lot of work to do in the pursuit of diversity!
