Lyric for Band

In 1946, George Walker was still doing graduate work at the Curtis institute when he composed Lyric for Strings, which would prove over the coming decades to become one of the most performed and enduring string orchestra works of the 20th Century. This first-ever edition for symphonic wind band was arranged by Dr. Luci Disano and premiered by “The President's Own” United States Marine Band on August 24, 2022.

George Walker (June 27, 1922 - August 23, 2018) began his groundbreaking career as a young piano virtuoso and was admitted to Oberlin College on a scholarship following his first public recital at the age of 14. Graduating with the highest honors in his Conservatory class, he was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music, becoming the first black graduate of this renowned music school. His works demonstrate a wide range of artistic excellence in genres ranging from instrumental and vocal solos and chamber music to compositions for orchestra and other large ensembles. He is the first black composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize.