Adolphus Hailstork

The impediment to Adolphus Hailstork's full acceptance by critics and cognoscenti early in his career is exactly what should endear him to more cautious music lovers as the decades pass: a lack of interest in serialism and other academic and avant-garde techniques. Hailstork's music has matured with the seasons to become a rich documentation of certain aspects of American life, particularly the Black American experience. He has composed in every genre, from organ preludes to songs to large choral works commemorating historical events. Attendees of the inauguration of President Joe Biden heard Hailstork's Fanfare on Amazing Grace. His Symphony No. 5 was premiered in 2023 by the National Philharmonic.