José Silvestre White y Lafitte was a Afro-Cuban-French violinist and composer. He was a virtuoso violinist praised by Louis Gottschalk, Gioachino Rossini, and many others, and wrote music mainly for his own instrument. He played on the famous “Swansong” Stradivarius. White studied at the Paris Conservatory, winning the acclaimed First Grand Prize for his violin skills. He toured the United States, and served as director of the Imperial Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro, eventually returning to Paris where he lived until 1918.