Arnold Black

Arnold Black (2 May 1923 – 25 June 2000) was an American violinist and composer.

His most senior positions held include assistant concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra and concertmaster at the Baltimore Symphony. In his career as a composer he wrote music particularly for stage productions.

Black was notable for maintaining a musical career despite having cerebral palsy from birth. He died at his home in Massachusetts in the summer of 2000.

Biography Early life Black was born on May 2, 1923, in the U.S. City of Philadelphia. He had cerebral palsy from birth, affecting mobility in his right side.

Education Black studied at The Juilliard School, graduating with majors in violin and composition.

Composer In the early 1950s, Black was composer in residence at the Circle in the Square Theatre in Manhattan. He worked with director José Quintero to produce scores for various notable productions including Ulysses in Nighttown.

His concert works include a children's opera based on The Phantom Tollbooth, a novel by Norton Juster, and a piece entitled My Country, 1998–1999, commissioned by the St. Petersburg String Quartet. The theme is based on Franz Schubert's Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major.