Classical Music Playlist, June 19, 2026
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Autochthonous: adjective. ”indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists.”
In program notes for his Symphony No. 4, American composer William Grant Still wrote that the work’s title, “Autochthonous,” suggests that “the music has its roots in our own soil, and portrays…the spirit of the American people. It may also be said that the music speaks of the fusion of musical cultures in North America.”
The Symphony No. 4, “Autochthonous,” by William Grant Still is today’s Juneteenth Midday Masterpiece.
