Maude Roberts George facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maude Roberts George
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Maude Roberts George, from a 1936 newspaper
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Maude J. Roberts
September 27, 1888 Jersey City, New Jersey, US
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| Died | December 1, 1943 (aged 55) Chicago, Illinois, US
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| Other names | Maud Roberts George |
| Occupation | Singer, arts administrator, music writer |
| Known for | President, National Association of Negro Musicians (1933–1935) |
Maude J. Roberts George (born September 27, 1888 – died December 1, 1943) was an American singer, who also managed arts groups and wrote about music. She led the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) from 1933 to 1935. She was also in charge of the Chicago Music Association. Maude George wrote music reviews for The Chicago Defender newspaper.
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Maude George's Early Life
Maude J. Roberts was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her parents were Joseph Henry Roberts and Alice C. Johnson Roberts. Her mother was from Virginia, and her father was from North Carolina. Maude finished her studies at Walden University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1907. She then graduated from the Bryant & Stratton school in Chicago in 1908.
Maude George's Career in Music
Maude Roberts was a soprano concert singer. She taught music at Walden University from 1909 to 1911. Then she taught at Lane College from 1911 to 1913.
Her Performances
In 1915, Maude was a solo singer at an "All Colored Composers Concert" in Chicago. She also sang with an orchestra in Washington D.C. in 1916. In 1918, she was a soloist in a big choir concert in Chicago. Another singer at this concert was George Garner.
Supporting Black Musicians
In 1927, Maude George directed a musical show called "Ethiopia Lifts as She Climbs." This show was part of the National Association of Colored Women convention in Chicago. She directed another music show, "Festival of Music," in 1933 for the same group. This show also featured George Garner.
Maude George worked hard to support Black classical musicians and composers. She personally raised money for a concert in 1933. This concert featured music by Florence Beatrice Price. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed Price's music.
Her Leadership Roles
Maude George was the president of the National Association of Negro Musicians from 1933 to 1935. After her, Howard University music teacher Camille Nickerson took over. Maude George also helped start the Chicago Music Association and became its president. She wrote music reviews for The Chicago Defender newspaper.
She was also on the board of directors for the Cook County League of Women Voters. She was president of the Illinois State Association of Colored Women's Clubs. Maude George served on many other arts and political group boards in Chicago.
Helping Florence Price's Symphony
Maude George played a key role in the first performance of Florence B. Price's First Symphony. This happened in 1933 at the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago. Records from the Chicago Music Association show that Maude George paid $250. This money, which would be about $5,093 today, helped make sure the symphony was performed.
Maude George's Personal Life
Maude Roberts married judge Albert Bailey George in 1918. They had a son named Albert Roberts George (1918–1983). Her husband passed away in 1940. Maude George died in 1943 in Chicago, when she was 55 years old.
In 1944, a group in Los Angeles from the NANM held a concert to remember Maude George. They also honored her NANM friends Robert Nathaniel Dett and Alice Carter Simmons, who also died in 1943. Naida McCullough was one of the musicians who performed at this concert. The records of the Chicago Music Association are kept at the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University.
