Althea Waites facts for kids

Althea Waites (born 1939) is a talented American concert pianist. She has performed her amazing music all over the United States and in many other countries. Today, she teaches music at California State University, Long Beach.

About Althea Waites

Althea Waites was born in 1939. Her hometown is New Orleans, Louisiana. Music was a big part of her family. Her dad and grandpa played the piano. Her mom sang in the church choir. Althea started learning piano when she was just five years old. At 17, she played with the New Orleans Philharmonic orchestra for the first time. This was a very special debut!

Althea studied music at Xavier University in New Orleans. She then earned a master's degree in piano from Yale University. She also learned from a famous teacher, Russell Sherman. This was at the New England Conservatory. After finishing her studies, Althea traveled a lot. She performed concerts and taught at colleges. One of these was Smith College.

In the 1970s, Althea moved to the West Coast. She taught at California State University, San Bernardino, and the University of California, Riverside. In 1979, she became a full-time teacher at Cal State. She taught private and group piano lessons. She also taught music theory and African-American music history. Later, she taught at California State Polytechnic, Pomona. There, she was an artist-in-residence. For over 20 years, she has taught at California State University, Long Beach.

Althea Waites has a special mission. She wants to perform music by Black women composers. She calls this her "crusade." In 1987, she released her first album. It featured piano music by Florence Price. Althea was the first pianist to record Price's music. A music review said this album was very important. It showed the world a key figure in American music history.

Waites has performed across the United States. She has also played in Canada, Europe, and Latin America. In 1989, Althea toured the Soviet Union. She performed in Moscow, Kiev, and Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

In 1993, she released an album called Black Diamonds. On this album, she played music by African-American composers. These included Florence Price, William Grant Still, Margaret Bonds, and Ed Bland. Her 2023 album, Reflections in Time, was nominated for a Grammy. On this album, she continued her goal. She wants to bring new music to everyone. She also wants to share music by composers of color. This album has never-before-recorded music. It features pieces by Margaret Bonds, Jeremy Siskind, and Curt Cacioppo. It also includes three pieces by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Althea Waites' Albums

Here are some of the albums Althea Waites has recorded:

• Althea Waites Performs the Piano Music of Florence Price (1987), Cambria Records.
• Black Diamonds: Althea Waites Plays Music by African-American Composers (1993), Cambria Master Recordings.
• "Along The Western Shore (1997)
• "Celebration" (Music of American Composers) 2012