Alvin Singleton

The music of African American composer Alvin Singleton mixes influences from jazz and the classical avant-garde. Earning a Fulbright scholarship, Singleton traveled to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He stayed on in Europe, living there from 1971 to 1985. Singleton returned to the U.S. for a stint as composer-in-residence at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 1988, moving to a similar position at Spelman College in Atlanta. In 1989, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, under conductor Robert Shaw, released the album Alvin Singleton: Shadows; Yellow Rose Petal; After Fallen Crumbs. Singleton's works have been performed by many major American orchestras, as well as those in Europe. Singleton's works have been featured on releases by many performers, including, in 2023, cellist Seth Parker Woods on his album Difficult Grace.