William Lawrence (pianist)
William Lawrence (* 1895 in Charleston / South Carolina , † March 17, 1981 in New York City ) was an African American pianist, singer and music teacher.
Lawrence studied organ and piano at Avery College (early 1900s), later at the New England Conservatory of Music (1913–16) and in Paris (1926–31). He has appeared as a piano accompanist for singers such as Roland Hayes , Marian Anderson and Dorothy Maynor , but also as a piano soloist and singer in the USA and Europe.
In order to get musicians into work, he founded the Symphonietta with Alfred Ross in the early 1930s , an orchestra that had numerous appearances in New York. Lawrence also composed; made famous by Marian Anderson for his arrangement of the spiritual Let Us Break Bread Together . He also taught piano and singing, one of his students was the blind singer Sadie Knight .
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- New York Times, March 21, 1981: Obituaries - William Lawrence, 85, Composer And Pianist Accompanied Singers
- College of Charleston - Inventory of the William Lawrence Papers, 1919-1988
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lawrence, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pianist, singer, and music educator |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Charleston, South Carolina |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 17, 1981 |
| Place of death | New York City |