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First Opera by Black American — Brought to Light by UC Davis Historian — Gets Its Due

  • by Karen Nikos-Rose
  • January 30, 2025
  • News & Noteworthy
  • Self & Society
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.
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