Travelogue: Philippa Schuyler’s Music for Piano
• • •
“Travelogue: Philippa Schuyler’s Music for Piano” is a groundbreaking recording of Harlem composer Philippa Schuyler’s solo piano music, released on what would have been Schuyler’s 93rd birthday.
Pianist and composer Philippa Schuyler (1931-1967) was often called the most well-traveled young person of her day, eventually performing in nearly eighty countries around the world. Along the way, she took note of everything she experienced, resulting in both musical compositions and a career in freelance journalism. “Travelogue” traces Schuyler’s travels from her early folk music arrangements to her mature African and Arabic inspired compositions. The album includes world premiere recordings of several works, including a recently rediscovered untitled piece that is likely her final composition.
Schuyler’s untimely death at age thirty-five in the Vietnam War has caused her fascinating music to go almost entirely unstudied and unheard, until now. Learn more through the interview below, or listen to the album on your preferred streaming service.
Dr. Sarah Masterson, Pianist & Educator 