Lettie Beckon Alston (b. 1953)

Lettie Beckon Alston was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Wayne State University and completed her D. M. A. in composition at the University of Michigan. She was the first African-American to earn this degree from UM. Among her composition teachers were James Hartway, Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom and George Wilson. She is Associate Professor at Oakland University in Michigan and artistic director of the professional artists concert series, Lettie Alston and Friends, which features music by living composers. Among her compositions are orchestral, vocal, chamber, and multi-media works such as Diverse Imagery for dance and electronic synthesizers (1995). Her Pulsations for solo violin was recorded by Gregory Walker on Kaleidoscope: Music by African American Women (Leonarda Records LE 339). Energico is the last movement of Memories for violin, cello, and piano, dedicated to the memory of Pearl Roberts McCullom, Alston's first music teacher.