“Mary Cardwell Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company” - American Musicological Society Lecture

Scholar Karen Bryan gave the first American Musicological Society Lecture of 2023 at the Library of Congress, with the topic of “Mary Cardwell Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company: Operatic Self-Determination in Washington, DC.” Mary Cardwell Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company are important parts of the history of African American opera in the United States and in Washington, DC. Cardwell Dawson’s legacy is significant: her advocacy contributed to the increased opportunities for singers of color in traditionally white companies through the 1950s and 1960s, and opera companies such as Opera Ebony and Opera South credited her example as inspiration for their own formation. This presentation highlights her activities and influence in the 1940s and 1950s, and also brings to light the activities of Black singers through this same period.
For transcript and more information, visit www.loc.gov/it...