In Rochester, New York, on today’s date in 1957, there was a concert at the Eastman School of Music, conducted by the school’s famous director Howard Hanson, showcasing new works composed by Eastman graduate students. Included on the program was a brand-new “Trombone Concerto” by George Walker.
Back then, Walker was better known as a remarkable pianist. He was a graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, after all, a student of Rudolf Serkin, and a quite impressive recording exists from his Eastman days of Walker as soloist in the Brahms Second Piano Concerto. But for Walker, as an African-American, a successful career as a concert pianist in a still-segregated America was not possible – it would be 10 years before Andre Watts broke that taboo, remember, so Walker opted for a musical career as a composer and educator, and proved remarkably accomplished at both.
Walker’s early “Trombone Concerto” was a hit from the start. “The composer evidently had a soloist of superior ability in mind in writing this difficult and complex work,” wrote a reviewer at the premiere. “It is music of sound and fury, with lots of dissonance and imaginative drive. Soloist and composer shared in prolonged applause.”
George Walker (1922-2018): Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (Denis Wick, trombone; London Symphony; Paul Freeman, conductor.) in Sony Black Composers Series CD set 19075862152