Margaret Allison Bonds

     Bonds (1913-1972) was an incomparable composer, pianist, and educator. She profoundly influenced 20th-century classical music by infusing her orchestral and chamber works with elements of spirituals, calypso rhythms, and other musical traditions from the African diaspora. Her notable collaborations with poet Langston Hughes highlighted the African American experience and brought spirituals and jazz influences to prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic.