An anonymous watercolor portrait of Francis Johnson holding an early 19th-century horn Courtesy NYPL CC BY-SA 4.0
Francis “Frank” Johnson (June 16, 1792 – April 6, 1844) was an American musician and prolific composer during the Antebellum period. African American composers were rare in the U.S. during this period, but Johnson was among the few who were successful. Performing as a virtuoso of the (now rare) keyed Kent bugle and the violin, he wrote more than two hundred compositions of various styles—operatic airs, Ethiopian minstrel songs, patriotic marches, ballads, cotillions, quadrilles, quicksteps and other dances. Only his manuscripts and piano transcriptions survive today. Johnson was the first African American composer to have his works published as sheet music. He also was the first African American to give public concerts and the first to participate in racially integrated concerts in the United States. He led the first American musical ensemble to present concerts abroad, and he introduced the promenade concert style to America.
Source: Wikipedia
ITEMS ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSIC LIBRARY:
Francis Johnson (1792-1844) : chronicle of a black musician in early nineteenth-century Philadelphia
Jones, Charles K. (Charles Kelley), 1931-2004.
©2006
ML410 .J66 2006
The music of Francis Johnson and his contemporaries.
Chestnut Brass Company (Musical group); Monroe, Diane.; Brooks, Tamara.; Johnson, Francis, 1792-1844.; Connor, Aaron J. R., -1850.; Hazzard, Isaac, 1804-approximately 1864.; Hemmenway, James, 1800-1849.; Roland, Edward de, 1803-1894.
1990
Circ CD 600
Complete works
Johnson, Francis, 1792-1844, composer.; Roust, Colin, editor.
2025
M2 .R295 v.98
ADDITIONAL LIBRARY RESOURCES:
Blacks in classical music : a bibliographical guide to composers, performers, and ensembles
Gray, John, 1962- compiler.
1988
ML128 .B45 G7 1988
Black conductors
Handy, D. Antoinette, 1930-2002.
1995
ML402 .H36 1995
Blacks in classical music II : an international bibliography and resource guide
Gray, John, 1962- compiler.
2023
ML120 .A35 G7 2023
Anthology of early American keyboard music : 1787-1830
Clark, J. Bunker, editor.; Brown, William, active 1783-1788.; Carr, Benjamin, 1768-1831.; Clifton, Arthur, 1784?-1832.; Getze, F. A.; Gilfert, Charles, 1787-1829.; Hance, J. F. (James F.), active 1818-1833.; Heinrich, Anthony Philip, 1781-1861.; Hewitt, James, 1770-1827.; Holden, T. L.; Hupfield, Charles Frederic, 1787-1864.; Johnson, Francis, 1792-1844.; Meineke, C. (Christopher), 1782-1850.; Metz, Julius.; Moller, J. C. (John Christopher), 1755-1803.; Moran, P. K. (Peter K.), -1831.; Murden, Eliza Crawley.; Newman, Mr., active 1807-1810.; Shaw, Oliver, 1779-1848.; Sicard, Stephen.; Taylor, R. (Raynor), 1747-1825.; Taylor, William.; Thibault, C. (Charles), -1853?; Zeuner, Charles, 1795-1857.
1977
M2 .R295 v.1-2