Edmond Dédé's four-act opera, “Morgiane," written in 1888, is the oldest known opera composed by an African American. Sally McKee, now a retired history professor at UC Davis, helped unearth his story in a biography on Dédé in 2017. Now, in 2025, the work is finally being performed in full.

An estimated 30 million gallons of oil is one of many toxins in Newtown Creek, which borders Queens and Brooklyn in New York City. This unlikely place has not only inspired an opera, but it will also be the venue for it. "Newtown Odyssey," by UC Davis professor Kurt Rohde, visual artist Marie Lorenz and writer Dana Spiotta, will premiere soon.