Opera Lafayette Receives $410,000 Ford Foundation Grant

Opera Lafayette has announced that The Ford Foundation has awarded the opera company a $410,000 grant in support of its upcoming performance and recording of Morgiane by Edmond Dédé, whose 1887 opera is the earliest extant such work composed by a Black American. This funding will play a crucial role in presenting Morgiane to the public for the first time in history.

“Opera Lafayette is deeply grateful to receive this support from the Ford Foundation,” says Patrick Quigley, Opera Lafayette’s Artistic Director Designate. “This award will help bring to life the work of Edmond Dédé, whose Morgiane has languished in obscurity for 138 years. This is the most important piece of American music that no one has ever heard, and we are honored to give it the world premiere it deserves.” 

Quigley will conduct the world premieres in February 2025, along with a world premiere preview performance in New Orleans in January 2025, presented in collaboration with their partner OperaCréole. The performances will take place at Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC on February 3, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City on February 5, and at Dekelboum Recital Hall at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Center for the Performing Arts on February 7.

The Ford Foundation’s generous grant will be critical in helping to cover the production costs, including venue support, musician fees, live audio recording, community enrichment events, and the creation of a modern performance edition from Dédé’s original handwritten score.

The world premiere of Morgiane marks a significant milestone in American musical history, as it introduces audiences to a groundbreaking work that has remained unheard for over a century.

In addition to the premiere performances, Opera Lafayette plans a series of community engagement events leading up to the productions, featuring collaborations with partners including OperaCréole, Folger Shakespeare Library, Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), Opera Ebony, and Opera America. These events will include panel discussions, master classes, and an online salon series designed to explore the cultural and historical significance of Dédé’s Morgiane and broaden its reach beyond the concert hall.

These world premiere concert performances and recording of Edmond Dede’s “Morgiane, ou, Le Sultan d'Ispahan” are the result of a co-production partnership between OperaCréole, Givonna Joseph,Artistic Director, and Opera Lafayette, Ryan Brown, Artistic Director.

For more information about Opera Lafayette’s production of Morgiane and the related community events, visit operalafayette.org

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