Oberlin's Women: A Legacy of Leadership & Activism

Natalie Leota (Henderson) Hinderas

Natalie Leota (Henderson) Hinderas (1927-1987, OC 1945) was a concert pianist. She grew up in a musical family. Her mother worked as a teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music while her father was a jazz pianist. Hinderas showed early musical talent when began to play the piano at three years old. Her skill progressed quickly and she began performing at age eight. In 1939, she joined the Cleveland Women’s Symphony Orchestra at twelve years old. Hinderas later enrolled at Oberlin College and graduated in 1945 at the age of eighteen. She was the youngest person to graduate from the Oberlin College Conservatory. After graduating, Hinderas attended the Julliard School of Music and the Philadelphia School of Music between 1948 and 1953. She began her career making guest appearances at NBC-TV and giving performances in Europe in the mid-1950s. She toured with the U.S. State Department in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East in 1959 and in 1964. She became an instructor at Temple University College of Music in 1966. She continued to tour and perform throughout her career. In 1968, she performed at several black colleges and gave lectures about African American musicians. She was the first African American woman to become a regular soloist for a U.S. symphony in 1971, when she performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra. That same year, she released the album, Natalie Hinderas Plays Music by Black Composers. She became a full professor at Temple University in 1973 and taught at the school until her death.

Sources:
Bishop, Victoria. “NATALIE LEOTA HINDERAS (1927-1987).” Last modified January 31, 2013. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/hinderas-natalie-leota-1927-1987/

“Natalie Hinderas, 60; Played Classical Piano.” The New York Times. July 23, 1987.

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