Listen: 'Justin Holland: The Guitar's Black Pioneer'

One of the best guitar virtuosos of the 19th century lived right here in the United States. Justin Holland arranged and composed music for the guitar that people nationwide would play. Some of that music has recently been recorded for the first time.

Besides being a composer, arranger and guitar virtuoso, Holland was a teacher, Freemason and civil-rights activist. He was born free and used his freedom to help enslaved Black people escape through the Underground Railroad— he moved in the same national circles as statesman Frederick Douglass.

American Public Media recently commissioned the recording of more than two dozen pieces composed or arranged by Holland. Most pieces have never been recorded before, and 14 are included in this hourlong special — hosted by Scott Blankenship, with Holland expert Prof. Ernie Jackson. The rest can be heard by using the players for each after the radio program’s playlist below.

Playlist

W.H. Rulistun (arr. J. Holland): Rochester Schottische – Ernie Jackson, guitar

Justin Holland: Last Waltz of a Lunatic – Ernie Jackson, guitar

Giuseppe Verdi (arr. J. Holland): La Traviata – Michael Vascones, guitar

Ludwig van Beethoven (arr. J. Holland): Gertrude’s Dream Waltz – Michael Vascones, guitar

Vincenzo Bellini (arr. J. Holland): La Sonnambula – Michael Vascones, guitar

Justin Holland: Home Sweet Home With Variations – Mark Delpriora, guitar

Joseph Labitzky (arr. J. Holland): Elfin Waltzes – Mark Delpriora, guitar

Justin Holland: Peek-a-Boo Waltz – Mark Delpriora, guitar

W. T. Wrighton (arr. J. Holland): Dearest Spot on Earth – Keith Calmes, guitar

Justin Holland: Pansy Blossom Waltz – Keith Calmes, guitar

Justin Holland: Moonlight Mazurka – Keith Calmes, guitar

Friedrich von Flowtow (arr. J. Holland): Martha – Gabriele Leite, guitar

Justin Holland: Musette de Nina – Gabriele Leite, guitar

Gioachino Rossini (arr. J. Holland): William Tell Overture – Gabriele Leite, guitar

Additional songs

We recorded more tunes composed or arranged by Holland, besides the ones used in our hourlong radio special. Listen to them below.

Justin Holland: Webster's Funeral March
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Justin Holland: Shells of Ocean
Performed by Gabriele Leite

Justin Holland: See Saw Waltz
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Justin Holland: Oberon
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Justin Holland: Norma
Performed by Gabriele Leite

Justin Holland: Morning Star Waltz
Performed by Michael Vascones

Justin Holland: Lucrezia Borgia
Performed by Gabriele Leite

Justin Holland: Lucia di Lammermoor
Performed by Michael Vascones

Justin Holland: Laughin May Schottisch
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Justin Holland: La Prima Donna Waltz
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Justin Holland: Evangeline Grand March
Performed by Michael Vascones

Justin Holland: Etta Gavotte
Performed by Keith Calmes

Justin Holland: Delta Kappa Epsilon
Performed by Mark Delpriora

Performers

Ernie Jackson is an expert on the work of Justin Holland, including a book on the composer (The Music of Justin Holland), and is a music professor at Queensborough Community College in New York. Magazines including Guitar Player, Guitar World and Downbeat have featured him. He is also the featured instructor in the guitar technique instructional video Fingerstyle Funk. His other books include The Everything Guitar Book and The Guitar Chord Composer.

Gabriele Leite has studied at the Manhattan School of Music and has won several national guitar competitions. She is the co-founder of the Brazilian Classical Guitar Community, a platform for publishing and broadcasting online recordings of Brazilian composers.

Michael Vascones, who’s also from Queens, has played guitar since he was 12. He studied at the Juilliard School and now is pursuing his master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music.

Mark Delpriora is chair of the Guitar Department at the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to composing many works for guitar, he has won the Andrés Segovia Award for Outstanding Performance.

Keith Calmes has been performing and teaching guitar for more than three decades. Although known for his classical work, he has played guitar in a variety of styles, including surf, jazz, rock and Indian.