G. Schirmer has announcted today that it had acquired rights to the complete Florence Price catalogue worldwide. At this time, many of Price’s compositions are now listed on Schirmer’s site.

G. Schirmer President Robert Thompson confirmed the acquisition on Twitter:

Previously, the University of Arkansas was managing all engraving, production, and distribution in-house. Price’s papers are all housed at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Price was born in Little Rock.

Reached for comment, Emmy Award-winning University of Arkansas Professor James R. Greeson said of the deal: “It is gratifying to witness the growth of interest and support for the music of Florence Price. I hope this new business agreement with Schirmer will promote the recent dissemination of her lovely music and lead to more recordings and performances of her 'lost' creations.” Greeson is a composer, Jazz musician, and documentarian with close ties to various University of Arkansas projects aimed at promoting Price’s music.

Many skeptics have taken to Twitter to question the publisher’s view, among them American music scholar Doug Shadle:

Curious persons looking to sample Price’s music can start with the following playlist:

Sources

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Kyle Gann's Chronology of the Symphony
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I have always appreciated Kyle Gann’s website for its resources for Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3. Recently, I took time to investigate some of the other resources he freely provides, including his own compositions, as well as links to his many books and albums. Among the resources on the site is a terrific “Chronology of the Symphony: 1730-2019,” listing years and major symphonies composed and/or premiered that year.

Embrace "Boredom" - Listen to Long Music
Embrace "Boredom" - Listen to Long Music

I think we all want to come out of this undifferentiated sea of snackable, viral content, back and forth messages, contextless tweets, and seemingly meaningless work tasks, and move in the direction of books, records, marathons, no-tech camping trips, meditation retreats, long form journalism, 5000-piece puzzles, baseball, writing cabins, undistracted 2-hour coffee with a friend, and of course a night at the symphony or theater…. So in that context, though I hate to use a cliché, I think we need long form music—classical being one example—now more than ever, in this one particular way:

Oklahoma, the Muscogee Nation, and Florence Price
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“Some changes take centuries to reveal themselves.”

— Joy Harjo

The Music and Legacy of Florence Price
The Music and Legacy of Florence Price

…it is time to finally and fully celebrate the vibrant history of all women and all persons of color who have been the creators and performers of some of music’s greatest riches as a regular part of the concert going experience. We must endeavor to honor Florence Price as a pioneer and secure her place in the musical canon through a rigorous exploration of her music and a zealous advocacy for her legacy. 

Jordan Randall Smith is the Music Director of Symphony Number One.