Note: This program originally aired on Feb. 13, 2024. This week, Charlotte Talks takes a look back at some of our favorite interviews from this year.
Acclaimed opera singer Denyce Graves came to Charlotte to tell the story of an influential yet often overlooked voice — that of Mary Cardwell Dawson.
Graves is on a mission to preserve Dawson’s legacy and introduce her story to new audiences. To that end, Graves performed the title role in “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson” with Opera Carolina in February.
Dawson, a North Carolina native who grew up in the Jim Crow era, created the National Negro Opera Company, the first Black opera company in the United States. Founded in 1941 in Pittsburgh, the opera company provided a safe creative space for Black artists.
Graves joined Charlotte Talks to discuss the play, the importance of Dawson’s work, diversity in the opera and more.
GUEST:
Denyce Graves, acclaimed opera singer
