Exhibit: Hidden Voices- Mary Cardwell Dawson: The Legacy of an Opera Pioneer

Program Type:

Art, Movies & Music, Community Events, History & Genealogy, Parents & Educators, Race, Equity & Inclusion

Age Group:

Everyone
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Event Details

During June and July, drop by the Equity Resource Center and Collection (ERCC) on the second floor of the Central Branch and experience this fascinating, multi-media exhibit. Opera has profoundly influenced modern music, leaving its mark on various genres and musical styles.

Learn about the legacy of Mary Cardwell Dawson and her impact on opera and American music history. Her history is captured in this exhibit which features a Listening Room so customers can hear not just her singing, but other artists she influenced. 

Mary Cardwell Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company were an important touchstone in the history of Black opera. While companies devoted to Black performers and European repertoire had existed since the late nineteenth century, this is one of the first to be run by a Black woman. Nearly 2000  were hired over its 20-year history with performances taking place in Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York and Pittsburgh.