A ‘Mind-Blowing’ Premiere, 130 Years Later
February 07, 2025
Clarice Presents and the School of Music, together with OperaCréole and Opera Lafayette, debut Edmond Dédé's "Morgiane," the oldest existing opera by a Black composer.
By Sala Levin '10 | Maryland Today
The late 19th century was the golden age of opera, with Wagner, Puccini and Verdi writing scores that are still identifiable even to people who don’t know a buffa from a seria. But the glow of the era didn’t extend to all composers—and now, the University of Maryland is taking a leading role in bringing a never-before-heard score to the stage.
On Friday, composer Edmond Dédé’s 1887 opera “Morgiane, or the Sultan of Ispahan” will complete a three-city world premiere tour at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Together with companies OperaCréole and Opera Lafayette, UMD will present the French-language work, the oldest extant complete opera composed by an African American.
“Its premiere after 130 years is mind-blowing,” said Terry Dwyer, executive director of The Clarice. “It’s such an exciting project artistically, socially and historically.”
Born to a free Black family in New Orleans in 1827, Dédé was musically inclined from a young age, playing both clarinet and violin. He studied music theory and worked as a cigar maker to earn enough to travel to Europe. In the late 1850s, he settled in France, where he lived for the rest of his life, writing and performing music.
Read the full story in Maryland Today.
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