Harry T. Burleigh (1866–1949), was a pioneering American classical composer, arranger and vocalist celebrated for his resonant baritone voice. As a pivotal Black composer who influenced the development of American classical music, Burleigh played a vital role in introducing spirituals to classically trained musicians, arranging them in classical styles. Notably, he acquainted Antonín Dvořák with Black American music, influencing some of Dvořák's most renowned compositions and prompting the Czech composer to foresee Black music as the basis of a new, and uniquely American, classical style.