Will Marion Cook was an African-American composer and violinist who founded the New York Syncopated Orchestra and produced the first all-Black show on Broadway. Landmark productions included Clorindy (1898) and In Dahomey (1903). Born on January 27, 1869, in Washington, D.C., he faced hardships after his father's death and was influenced by African-American music while living with his grandparents. He studied violin at Oberlin College and then in Europe with notable teachers, including Antonin Dvořák. Will became a key figure in pre-jazz African-American music, influencing artists like Duke Ellington. He had two children with singer Abbie Mitchell and passed away on July 19, 1944, in Harlem Hospital.