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artists have performed his vocal works internationally. He has also received composition awards from the
National Association of Negro Women and the Christian Arts National Competition for Choral Music. Adams is best known for writing music for voice (including choral music, art songs, vocal solos,
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in June 1980 after taking up residence at the Yaddo Arts Colony. During this stage, he worked with librettist Daniel Myers, which carried the development of the opera into 1985. The opera was introduced at
Oberlin College at a workshop setting and officially had its first hearing at the Bolden
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Theatre, Cleveland
Playhouse. The premiere was broadcast over PBS with Veronica Tyler and Kathleen Orr as sopranos, Jane Vernon as a mezzo-soprano, Paul Atkins as tenor, Herbert Perry as a baritone, Stephen Saxon at bass, and the William Appling singers with the Appling conductor.
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and music drama) but has also written numerous purely instrumental compositions as well. Adams's music is composed largely within the tradition of
Western classical music and also incorporates elements unique to
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Adams works from his
Cleveland studio in Ohio purely focused on composition and promotion of his music. He is also a frequent lecturer at various colleges and universities, instructing people on his music.
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on
December 30, 1932, Adams began to study music at an early age, having lessons with neighbor and violinist Dorothy Smith at four years old. Adams earned a Bachelor of Music Education from
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Note: Nightsongs is also available for medium solo voice and chamber orchestra. "The Heart of a Woman" is also available for solo tenor, solo baritone and piano.
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Critically
Acclaimed CD Recordings of H. Leslie Adams are Twelve Etudes (Piano Etudes Part I), Piano Etudes Part II, Piano Etudes Part II.
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165:, such as syncopated rhythms, melodies reminiscent of spiritual and gospel music, and an improvised percussion passage in the style of
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Artist
Residence (Saratoga Springs, New York, 1980 and 1984). Mr. Adams has held high school appointments and faculty positions at
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Between 1997 and 2007, Adams composed Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano, which were recorded by Maria
Thompson Corley (1-12) and
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161:, which is about the lives of African-American slaves on the eve of the civil war. The work incorporates many elements of
153:(ed. J. Wright with S.A. Floyd Jr, published Warren, MI, 1992, pages 172–209). This music drama is very loosely based on
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473:. Vol. 1. Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. pp. 17–22.
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32:(December 30, 1932 – May 24, 2024) was an American composer. His works have been performed by the
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507:"Songs of the Soul: An Exploration of Art Songs by Twentieth-Century African-American Composers"
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377:"Dream Song" (text by Countee Cullen) piano-vocal and optional with cello obbligato
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149:(composed 1986) was the focus of a significant portion of Y.C. Williams's
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Southern, Eileen (1992). Wright, Josephine; Floyd, Samuel A. Jr. (eds.).
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Sherwood, Gayle (1999). "Adams, Leslie". In Floyd, Samuel A. (ed.).
374:"Song of Solitude" a/k/a "Alone...." (text by Nikos Valance)
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Miranda's prayer: "O sweet Jesus" from Blake: no. 11, act 1, scene
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That wild fire: Isabella's aria, from Blake, no. 8, act I, scene 3
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386:"It's So Nice Being Home at Christmas" (text by H. Leslie Adams)
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New perspectives on music: essays in honor of Eileen
Southern
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My new-found friends: Blake's aria from Blake: no. 22, act IV
347:"Love Come and Love gone" (text by Georgia Douglas Johnson)
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Adams died in Cleveland on May 24, 2024, at the age of 91.
314:"The Heart of a Woman" (text by Georgia Douglas Johnson)
60:, and the Center for Black Music Research, among others.
656:(3): 317 – via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature.
219:(A Collection of Songs on the Texts of Joette McDonald)
344:"Li'l' Gal" / "My Man" (text by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
117:. He received composer residency fellowships from the
320:"Sence You Went Away" (text by James Weldon Johnson)
389:"Walking After Midnight" (text by H. Leslie Adams)
185:. In 2015, he received the Cleveland Arts Award.
282:(Songs on the Texts of Edna St. Vincent Millay)
353:"Love Rejoices" (text by James Dillet Freeman)
826:California State University, Long Beach alumni
383:"Christmas Lullaby" (text by H. Leslie Adams)
361:"Love Request" (text by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
308:"Drums of Tragedy" (text by Langston Hughes).
93:in 1973. He also pursued private studies with
364:"Love Memory" (text by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
317:"Night Song" (text by Clarissa Scott Delany)
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856:Ohio State University Graduate School alumni
736:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
470:International Dictionary of Black Composers
367:"Amazing Grace" (text by H. Leslie Adams).
350:"The Wider View" (text by R. H. Grenville)
341:"Homesick Blues" (text by Langston Hughes)
225:"Love Union (a.k.a. Christ at a Wedding)"
811:African-American male classical composers
622:. Harmonie Park Press. pp. 173–209.
183:University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
682:"H. Leslie Adams | Solo Voice and Piano"
644:Taylor, Darryl (January–February 2008).
876:20th-century African-American musicians
871:21st-century African-American musicians
709:H. Leslie Adams: Piano Etudes, Part II.
434:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.48277
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380:"Advocation" (text by Suzanne Hassler)
323:"Creole Girl" (text by Morgan Collins)
87:California State University, Long Beach
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505:Jordan, Christopher C. (May 4, 2018).
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896:20th-century American male musicians
891:21st-century American male musicians
801:African-American classical composers
776:H. Leslie Adams at AfriClassical.com
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686:H. Leslie Adams | American Composer
305:"Prayer" (text by Langston Hughes)
265:"Song of the Innkeeper's Children"
89:in 1967, and a Ph.D. in Music from
836:Florida A&M University faculty
422:"Adams, [Harrison] Leslie"
297:"Gone Again is Summer the Lovely"
181:(13-26) and performed live at the
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816:African-American opera composers
85:in 1955, a Master of Music from
886:20th-century American composers
881:21st-century American composers
310:Link to Youtube recording here.
135:University of Kansas (Lawrence)
34:Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
759:Musical scores at WorldCat.org
369:Link to Youtube recording here
239:Link to Youtube recording here
159:Blake; or, The Huts of America
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841:American male opera composers
831:Classical musicians from Ohio
523:10.1080/23268263.2018.1462996
228:"In the Midnight of My Soul"
205:The Works of H. Leslie Adams
16:American composer (1932–2024)
866:University of Kansas faculty
806:American classical composers
208:American Composers Alliance
121:(Bellagio, Italy, 1979) and
706:Leslie., Adams, H. (2014),
291:"For You There is No Song"
169:. Adams started to compose
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646:"Songs of H. Leslie Adams"
420:Wright, Josephine (2001).
131:Florida A&M University
58:Cleveland Chamber Symphony
48:, and commissioned by The
38:Iceland Symphony Orchestra
151:New Perspectives on Music
30:Harrison Leslie Adams Jr.
861:Stillman College faculty
846:Musicians from Cleveland
821:American opera composers
511:Voice and Speech Review
334:"To the Road" (text by
294:"The Return from Town"
851:Oberlin College alumni
163:African-American music
119:Rockefeller Foundation
67:African-American music
54:Ohio Chamber Orchestra
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395:Scores and Recordings
268:"Wave and the Shore"
259:"Song to Baby Jesus"
91:Ohio State University
46:Indianapolis Symphony
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336:Paul Laurence Dunbar
256:"Midas, Poor Midas"
247:"From a Hotel Room"
201:Solo Voice and Piano
42:Buffalo Philharmonic
288:"Branch by Branch"
234:"Anniversary Song"
50:Cleveland Orchestra
650:Journal of Singing
426:Grove Music Online
253:"Lullaby Eternal"
62:Metropolitan Opera
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668:"H. Leslie Adams"
278:Five Millay Songs
262:"Song of Thanks"
107:Vittorio Giannini
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771:Official website
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274:"Night People"
250:"Love Request"
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211:Available from
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222:"On This Day"
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196:Compositions
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179:Thomas Otten
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796:2024 deaths
791:1932 births
723:January 28,
691:January 28,
439:January 28,
167:Afro-Cubano
142:music drama
95:Leon Dallin
785:Categories
748:References
718:1018461813
301:Nightsongs
754:Biography
539:194998635
531:2326-8263
489:301489374
244:"Flying"
231:"Cantus"
157:'s novel
73:Biography
732:citation
712:, DRAM,
628:25130603
605:53466812
583:51244415
561:53813236
215:Daybirth
140:Adams's
133:and the
77:Born in
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44:, and
535:S2CID
403:Notes
171:Blake
146:Blake
123:Yaddo
738:link
725:2023
714:OCLC
693:2023
624:OCLC
601:OCLC
579:OCLC
557:OCLC
527:ISSN
485:OCLC
475:ISBN
441:2023
113:and
519:doi
430:doi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
