(1885-1974)
Nora Holt was a composer, music critic and community leader who dedicated her career to advocating for Black classical musicians. Born in Kansas City, she began piano lessons at an early age and continued her musical education at Western University at Quindaro, Kansas. In 1918 she became the first African American to earn a master’s degree in music after graduating from Chicago Musical College. Holt’s education provided the foundation for her pioneering role within the public discourse of African American music.
As a music critic, Holt not only highlighted the artistic achievements of African American musicians, but also used her platform to build support systems to sustain their efforts. From 1917 to 1923, Holt was a columnist for the Chicago Defender, a preeminent, national Black newspaper, that centered African American musicians within the world of classical music. In 1919 she used her column to advocate for the establishment of a national association to serve these musicians, also hosting a foundational meeting in her home. Consequently, the National Association for Negro Musicians (NANM) was formed in 1919 and Holt became its first Vice President. She later co-founded the Chicago Music Association (CMA), a prominent local branch of NANM. Since its founding, the NANM has been integral to the success of many African American musicians, and it remains active today.
Holt created yet more spaces for Black excellence in classical music. In 1921 she founded Music and Poetry, a magazine dedicated to prominent Black classical musicians that also contained sheet music, including her own Negro Dance. Referencing the syncopation of Pattin’ Juba dances and invoking the tonality of spirituals, her music pays homage to African American culture. In addition to her publishing career, Holt hosted radio shows, organized festivals and presented lectures to encourage a broader audience to engage with classical music by Black composers. These efforts solidified Holt’s role as a prominent figure in the Harlem and Black Chicago renaissances whose legacy persisted long after her lifetime.
Elizabeth Durrant
Elizabeth Durrant recently received an M.A. in Musicology from the University of North Texas. She also earned a B.A. in English Literature (St. Mary’s College of Maryland) and a B.S. in Voice (Towson University)—as a result she is dedicated to exploring intersections between these disciplines. Her master’s thesis is titled “Chicago Renaissance Women: Black Feminism in the Careers and Songs of Florence Price and Margaret Bonds.” Elizabeth plans to pursue her PhD in musicology and continue exploring her interests in Black and female composers, twentieth-century neoromantic music, and American art song.
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