Natalie Hinderas
Encyclopedia
Natalie Leota Henderson Hinderas (June 15, 1927 – July 22, 1987) was an American
pianist, composer and professor at Pennsylvania
's Temple University
.
She was born in Oberlin, Ohio
to a musical family. Her father (Abram) was a jazz pianist and her mother, Leota Palmer, was a classical pianist who taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music
. She began playing at the age of three, with formal lessons (piano and violin) beginning at six years of age. A child prodigy, Natalie gave her first full-length recital at eight years old.
In 1945, she received her BS in Music from Oberlin Conservatory as their youngest student. Assuming the name Natalie Hinderas, she did her post-graduate work at the Juilliard School
of Music with Olga Samaroff and at the Philadelphia Conservatory with Edward Steuermann. In 1954, she made her Town Hall debut, receiving critical acclaim. From this point in her career, she toured America, Europe, and the West Indies; with two tours of Africa and Asia sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
In the mid-1950s, Hinderas signed a contract with NBC
to perform in their owned and operated stations around the United States playing recitals, concertos, and variety shows. She was the first Black to perform a subscription concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra
in 1971 after which, many other concerts followed. Some of the other venues where she played are the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland, Atlanta
, New York
, San Francisco, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
s. Hinderas’s performances included the Schumann Piano Concerto
, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
, and Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2
.
Throughout her career, she promoted and recorded works by black performers and composers, among them R. Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still
, John W. Work
, and George Walker
. She received a number of awards and degrees including the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fellowship and an honorary doctorate degree from Swarthmore College
. Natalie Hinderas was a full professor at Temple University at the time of her death from cancer on July 22, 1987.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianist, composer and professor at Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
.
She was born in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
to a musical family. Her father (Abram) was a jazz pianist and her mother, Leota Palmer, was a classical pianist who taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
. She began playing at the age of three, with formal lessons (piano and violin) beginning at six years of age. A child prodigy, Natalie gave her first full-length recital at eight years old.
In 1945, she received her BS in Music from Oberlin Conservatory as their youngest student. Assuming the name Natalie Hinderas, she did her post-graduate work at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
of Music with Olga Samaroff and at the Philadelphia Conservatory with Edward Steuermann. In 1954, she made her Town Hall debut, receiving critical acclaim. From this point in her career, she toured America, Europe, and the West Indies; with two tours of Africa and Asia sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
In the mid-1950s, Hinderas signed a contract with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to perform in their owned and operated stations around the United States playing recitals, concertos, and variety shows. She was the first Black to perform a subscription concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
in 1971 after which, many other concerts followed. Some of the other venues where she played are the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland, Atlanta
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...
, New York
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, San Francisco, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
s. Hinderas’s performances included the Schumann Piano Concerto
Piano Concerto (Schumann)
The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54, is a famous Romantic concerto by Robert Schumann, completed in 1845.Schumann had begun several piano concerti before this one: In 1828, he had begun one in E-flat major; from 1829-31 he worked on one in F major, and in 1839, he wrote one movement of a concerto...
, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
, and Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900...
.
Throughout her career, she promoted and recorded works by black performers and composers, among them R. Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still
William Grant Still
William Grant Still was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major...
, John W. Work
John Wesley Work III
John Wesley Work III was a composer, educator, choral director, musicologist and scholar of African American folklore and music.-Biography:...
, and George Walker
George Walker (composer)
George Theophilus Walker is an African-American composer, the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He received the Pulitzer for his work Lilacs in 1996....
. She received a number of awards and degrees including the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fellowship and an honorary doctorate degree from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
. Natalie Hinderas was a full professor at Temple University at the time of her death from cancer on July 22, 1987.