Creators in Conversation with OperaCréole & Opera Lafayette
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET
In-Person at OPERA America’s National Opera Center
330 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY
AND Livestreamed
This winter, OperaCréole, in collaboration with Opera Lafayette, will present the world premiere of Edmond Dédé’s 1887 opera Morgiane, ou Le sultan d’Ispahan, the oldest known opera composed by a Black American. Join representatives from the producing companies, the creative team of Morgiane, and Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America, for a dynamic conversation about bringing Dédé’s work out of the history books and onto the stage — delving into the production, its cultural significance, and the French Creole and Louisiana influences that shape it.
Attendees are invited to a casual pre-event reception with the guest starting at 7:00 p.m.
Featuring:
![](/media/wchft10z/opera-creole-logo.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=100&height=100&format=jpg&quality=75)
OperaCréole
OperaCréole is an award-winning nonprofit, founded in 2011 by the mother-and-daughter team of Givonna Joseph and Aria Mason. The company is dedicated to researching and performing lost or rarely performed works by composers of African descent. The company focuses on works by free 19th-century New Orleans composers of color and also promotes Louisiana's Creole language and culture.
The word Créole means "native to the place"; and, in keeping with the spirit of the word, OperaCréole's singers are professional artists, educators, and international soloists with roots in New Orleans, America's "First City of Opera!" (The first opera performed in what is now the United States took place in New Orleans in 1796.)
OperaCréole's groundbreaking work, including the 2017 production of Lucien Lambert's lost opera La Flamenca (1903), has been acknowledged nationally by NPR (National Public Radio), The New Yorker, and the AfriClassical Blog. In 2017, our founders were named among the Southerners of the Year by Southern Living, and OperaCréole has received numerous awards for contributions to the operatic sphere.
![](/media/zgzdwmqj/opera-lafayette-logo.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=100&height=100&format=jpg&quality=75)
Opera Lafayette
Opera Lafayette is an American period instrument ensemble focused on the French 18th-century opera repertoire and its precursors, influences, and artistic legacy. Opera Lafayette inspires a love of this repertoire by presenting rediscovered masterpieces and creating a recorded legacy of its work. Opera Lafayette performs at the highest level of artistic excellence in major theaters in Washington, New York, and international venues. Opera Lafayette educates and creates new audiences for its repertoire by making opera accessible to the general public, families, young people, and underserved audiences through its educational and outreach programs and performances in low-cost alternative venues.
![](/media/zwffyq4w/marc-scorca.png?center=0.24885735725492872,0.423494099188212&mode=crop&width=100&height=100&format=jpg&quality=75)
Marc A. Scorca, OPERA America President/CEO
Marc A. Scorca joined OPERA America in 1990 as president and CEO. Since that time, the OPERA America membership has grown from 120 opera companies to 3,500 organizations and individuals. Under his leadership, OPERA America has administered two landmark funding initiatives in support of the development of North American operas and opera audiences and launched an endowment effort in 2000 to create a permanent fund dedicated to supporting new works and audience development activities. In 2005, Scorca spearheaded OPERA America’s relocation from Washington, D.C. to New York City and the subsequent construction of the National Opera Center, which opened in 2012 and serves 80,000 guests each year. The Opera Center’s recital hall was dedicated as Marc A. Scorca Hall in 2015 in honor of Scorca’s 25th anniversary with the organization.
Scorca has led strategic planning retreats for opera companies and other cultural institutions internationally, and has participated on panels for federal, state, and local funding agencies, as well as for numerous private organizations. He also appears frequently in the media on a variety of cultural issues. A strong advocate of collaboration, Scorca has led several cross-disciplinary projects, including the Performing Arts Research Coalition and the National Performing Arts Convention (2004 and 2008). He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation to UNESCO. Scorca serves as an officer on the boards of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Music Advisory Board of Hunter College (CUNY). Scorca attended Amherst College, where he graduated with high honors in both history and music.
Join Us In-Person
Registration for the in-person event at OPERA America's National Opera Center is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Students can attend for free (with a valid student ID), but advance registration is required. Join today to access the member rate.
Join Us Online
Access to the LIVE BROADCAST is free, but advance registration is required. Register below and choose "LIVE BROADCAST" for your ticket type. You will be emailed tune-in details in advance of the event.
This event is part of OPERA America Onstage, our signature public programming series that welcomes artists, students, and opera audiences for intimate performances and conversations with our industry’s leading artists and rising talent. Learn more and see what's next at OPERA America Onstage.
Looking for more opera in your life? Check out the National Opera Calendar to find out what's on stage near you.
The 2024–2025 season of OPERA America Onstage is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Programming at the National Opera Center is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.