Partita in A

Among his many other honors and scholarships, groundbreaking composer Ulysses Kay was the first African-American to receive the "Prix de Rome" award that offered promising composers the opportunity to travel and study in Italy.

Kay received this prize twice between 1946 and 1952 and it was during his residency at the American Academy in Rome that Kay wrote "Partita in A" for solo violin. Premiered on April 15, 1952, the colorful suite contains four contrasting melodies: Prelude, Burlesca, Interlude, and Echo.