Wadada Leo Smith

Biography

A trumpeter and composer who is a major figure in the avant-garde and a pioneer of 'black classical music.' An early member of Chicago's AACM, Smith is known for his unique, abstract trumpet sound and his highly original compositional system, 'Ankhrasmation.' His most acclaimed work, 'Ten Freedom Summers,' a four-disc meditation on the Civil Rights Movement, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music, cementing his status as one of the most important American composers of his time.