Basile Barès (1845-1902) was born into slavery in New Orleans in the household of Adolph Perier, owner of a piano and music store. Through his work at the store, Barès was exposed to piano from a young age and frequently traveled to Paris on business. When he became free in 1865, he returned to Paris to study under Eugene Prevost, and in 1867 he performed as a pianist at the Paris International Exposition. He went on to become a very popular and prolific composer, best known for his piano pieces, and he is the only known American composer to have a copyright assigned to a composition while enslaved.