Speaker Series: Author Rufus Jones, Jr.
Dean Dixon: Negro at Home, Maestro Abroad – the Epic Story of Dean Dixon
Rufus Jones, Jr. is an orchestral conductor, music educator, and biographer. As a college professor, he as focused his research on classical musicians of African descent. His latest book is a profile of Dean Dixon, an African American conductor whose life was also devoted to performance and education.
In Dean Dixon: Negro at Home, Maestro Abroad, Jones brings to light a literal treasure trove of unpublished primary sources to tell the compelling story of this great American conductor. A testament to Dixon’s resolve, this first-ever full-length biography of this American musical hero chronicles Dixon’s musical upbringing, beginnings as a conductor, painful decision to leave his own country, rise to fame in Europe and his triumphant stand twenty-one years later when he returned to the United States to serve as a model for aspiring Black classical musicians.
Dean Dixon: Negro at Home, Maestro Abroad will interest anyone who wants to know more about Black American history, American musical culture, and Black American concert music and musicians.
To RSVP to this event, please email mstokenberry@charlestonlibrarysociety.org or call (843) 723-9912