Nora Douglas Holt’s Teachings of a Black Classical Canon

Abstract

This chapter explores Nora Douglas Holt’s work as a critic, composer-performer, lecturer, and radio host. It examines her curation of an early twentieth-century Black classical canon across these roles and considers how she used her access to public and influential fora to deepen her audiences’ musical appreciation and understanding. Holt’s early career activity in the Pacific Northwest and Chicago and mid- to late career activity in New York City are contextualized in the multifaceted tradition of Black women’s intellectual work. Attention is given to the ways in which her teachings of a Black classical canon interacted with the United States’ changing sociocultural composition.