Romantic
William Appo
1808–1871 · Philadelphia · composer, horn player and conductor from the United States
William Appo was one of the first African American composers in the United States. Born in Philadelphia around 1808 and dying after 1871 in the state of New York, he developed his career between New York and Philadelphia, combining teaching, performance and conducting.
In Philadelphia he played in the orchestra of the Walnut Street Theater in 1826 and, during the 1830s, was a member of Frank Johnson's band, with which he toured England. In 1848 he conducted the first performance of instrumental music at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Alexander Payne described him as "the most learned musician of his race".
His best-known work is the hymn Sing unto God, together with John Tyler's Lamentation, commissioned by the Utica Glee Club of New York, which probably alludes to the 1844 presidential election campaign.
Notable works and achievements
- Sing unto God
- John Tyler's Lamentation