Name: Freeman, Paul (1936-2015)

Historical Note: Paul Douglas Freeman is an African-American orchestral conductor, composer, and founder of the Chicago Sinfonietta. He is recognized as the world’s first African-American orchestral director. Freeman was born on January 2, 1936, in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik (University for Music) in Berlin, Germany with Ewald Lindemann. Freeman served as conductor of the Opera Theater of Rochester (1961-1966), associate conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (1968-1970), composer-in-residence of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1970-1979), and conductor of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra (1979-1989). In 1987, Freeman co-founded the Chicago Sinfonietta, a group noted for providing opportunities to African-American conductors and composers. In 1996, Freeman was named music director of the Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague. After retiring from the Chicago Sinfonietta in 2011, Freeman was named Emeritus Music Director.

Records or Manuscript Collections Created by Freeman, Paul