On Feb. 27, 2025, National Negro Opera Company founder Mary Cardwell Dawson was honored with a special mural unveiling ceremony. The mural was created by artist Scott Nurkin to honor Cardwell and all her contributions to American music. The ceremony took place at Murphy Street in Madison, North Carolina, and featured performances by Alyson Cambridge and Kenneth Overton, as well {…}
(Photo credit: Library of Congress) The North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame has announced its 2024 inductees. Among the recipients is North Carolina native Mary Cardwell Dawson. Dawson founded the National Negro Opera Company in 1941, which while it was short lived due to Dawson’s death in 1962, the company produced over 110 opera and broke barriers for singers of {…}
Pittsburgh Opera will present “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson” this April. The showcase, which features original music by Carlos Simon as well as additional music from Bizet, opens on April 27 and runs through May 5, 2024. The work is inspired by the true story of the founder of the National Negro Opera Company in Pittsburgh in 1941. It {…}