Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has announced that it will be partnering with Washington University’s Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity (CRE2) to host a two-night symposium exploring the canon of Black composers and the current reality of the Black experience onstage and behind the scenes.

The symposium entitled, “Belonging in Opera: Learning from Our Past, Engaging with Our Future,” will be led by Dr. Naomi André, professor at the University of Michigan and author of Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement. The event will take place online on April 6 and April 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CST, and will feature discussions and presentations from acclaimed scholars, artists, composers, and opera administrators.

There will also be an exploration of Black composers and the current and future landscape of Black creativity in opera and adjacent spaces.

Among the guests will be composers Anthony Davis and Damien Sneed, artists Nicole Cabell (soprano), Briana Hunter (mezzo-soprano), Will Liverman (baritone), and Morris Robinson (bass), leaders Afton Battle (General Director, Fort Worth Opera), Quodesia “Quo” Johnson (Education and Company Culture Manager, The Dallas Opera), and Marcia Sells (Chief Diversity Officer, the Metropolitan Opera), and scholars Todd Decker (Washington University), Lauren Eldridge Stewart (Washington University), Maya Gibson (University of Missouri), Kori Hill (University of North Carolina), Marcía Porter (Florida State University), and Louise Toppin (University of Michigan).

“As we work to make opera a welcoming space for all, we realize that inclusivity requires people from all corners of the industry — composers, singers, administrators, and scholars — talking to one another, widening our repertoire, and sharing perspectives around Black representation and experiences in opera,” said Dr. André. “By engaging multiple voices from the composer’s desk, Board rooms, administrative offices, the stage, and the classroom, we are seeking ways to reinvent how we think about and perform opera.”

The symposium will be live streamed on Opera Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channels.