GRAMMY Artist Michelle Cann to Chair Jury of the Florence Price International Piano Competition

One of the most prominent pianists of her generation, and one of the foremost interpreters of Florence Price's music, Michelle Cann will chair the jury of the 2026 Florence Price International Piano Competition at the U of A and will perform the opening competition recital on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center. 

Cann received the GRAMMY award in 2025 for Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price, recorded with soprano Karen Slack, which features 19 unpublished songs composed by Price. She performed the New York premiere of Price's Piano Concerto in One Movement in 2016 and the Philadelphia premiere with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin in 2021. Her recording of the concerto with the New York Youth Symphony received the 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Performance. 

Price, born in Little Rock in 1887, was one of the most important American composers of the 20th century. In 1933, her Symphony No. 1 in E minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making her the first African American woman to have a composition performed by a major American orchestra. Her career and music have become increasingly recognized in recent years as an important part of the history of American classical music, along with national treasures such as George Gershwin and Aaron Copland.

The U of A has a unique connection to Price's legacy, as it is the home of Price's archives. Special Collections in Mullins Library holds an extensive archive containing her published and unpublished music, manuscripts and diaries. During the two-day event, a Price exhibit will be curated by the Special Collections for visitors to view, explore and research. 

The Florence Price International Piano Competition is a two-day event that celebrates unique voices of young artists while honoring the lasting impact from the music of Price. In addition to Cann, competition jurors also include Michael Clark from Baylor University and Jeongwon Hamm from the University of Oklahoma. All competition events will be overseen by Xiting Yang, founder and artistic director of the competition and teaching assistant professor in the Department of Music.

Held annually at the U of A, the FPIPC offers a distinctive alternative to the traditional piano competition structure. In addition to showcasing pianistic abilities at the highest level, the participants are required to present programs that reflect their individual artistic identities by speaking about the music they chose, therefore creating a powerful and integrated performance experience. Aside from Cann's solo piano recital on Friday night, all of the competition events will take place in FPAC on the mornings of Nov. 6 and 7. Please go to tickets.uark.edu to reserve your tickets in advance.