Julia Perry

The music of composer Julia Perry has been largely bypassed by the ongoing rediscovery of works by African Americans, even though her output was substantial. Her music is especially interesting in that it combines influences from her heritage with those from modern European teachers with whom she studied. Perry taught at Florida A&M University beginning in 1959 and at Atlanta University. Her works extended into most of the major genres of classical music. Some of her works were performed and published; her Short Piece for Large Orchestra was programmed in 1965 and recorded by the New York Philharmonic. Perry's later works incorporate influences from contemporary music. Perry suffered a stroke in 1971 but continued to compose, learning to write music with her left hand. She died in Akron on April 24, 1979. As of the mid-2020s, only three of Perry's works were available on recordings.