Born in Lexington, KY, 25 Mar 1924
Died in Akron, OH, 24 April 1979
- Julia Perry received both her Bachelor and Masters Degrees from Westminster Choir College. A few years later, she went on to study composition in Europe with names such as Luigi Dallapiccola and Nadia Boulanger.
- Early on in her career, Perry was heavily influenced by her Western classical education while still drawing on African American influences, including Spirituals and the blues. However, as the climate around race in the U.S. shifted in the late 1950s and early 1960s, her works became more outwardly expressive of her own experience as a Black woman. She also became more bold in calling out injustices she witnessed occurring around her.1
- As a composer, Perry wrote music for orchestra, chamber ensemble, chorus, and voice. Unfortunately, much of her work was lost following her death or has yet to be published.
- In 1970, Perry suffered a debilitating stroke that paralyzed her right side and made her unable to speak. She taught herself to write with her left hand so she could continue composing; however, more strokes over the next few years would greatly hinder her recovery. She died in 1979 of a heart attack at 55 years old.
- While she continued writing up until her death, many of her post-stroke manuscripts have left potential publishers and advocates of her work unable to confidently read her writing, leading to a significant lack of published work for the composer despite her prolific career.2
Sources
- Megan Maloney, “Julia Perry,” Song of America, accessed March 24, 2025, https://songofamerica.net/composer/julia-perry/.
- Alan Westby, “Julia Perry – American Neoclassicist,” Los Angeles Public Library (2022), accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/julia-perry-american-neoclassicist.