Despite pervasive intolerance, Dean Dixon became in 1941 the first Black American to conduct the New York Philharmonic. Yet the acclaim that followed in his wake could not prevent him from departing his home country eight years later for Europe. There Dixon moved to a full roster of prestigious guest conducting appearances across several continents before returning to conduct once more in the United States. In Dean Dixon: Negro at Home, Maestro Abroad, conductor and scholar Rufus Jones, Jr., brings to light a literal treasure trove of unpublished primary sources to tell the compelling story of this great American conductor. A testament to Dixon’s resolve, this first ever full-length biography of this American musical hero chronicles Dixon’s musical upbringing, beginnings as a conductor, painful decision to leave his own country, rise to fame in Europe and his triumphant stand twenty-one years later when he returned to the United States to serve as a model to other black classical musician, guest conducting at a number of major symphonies.
