World premiere of historic opera comes to St. Louis Cathedral

Lauded for works that transformed some of France’s most popular stages, Dédé packed a variety of musical genres into Morgiane, which has remained a hidden gem for over a century and yet to be heard—until now. Morgiane tells a tale of vengeance and reconciliation that begins when a young couple’s wedding day is disrupted by the sultan’s desire for the bride. When the bride’s family seeks revenge, a shocking revelation comes to light, leading to a path of forgiveness.

The free concert will feature the Grammy Award–winning Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), six acclaimed soloists—baritone Joshua Conyers, bass Kenneth Kellogg, tenor Chauncey Packer, sopranos Taylor J. Whiteand Mary Elizabeth Williams, and bass-baritone Jonathan Woody—and the members of OperaCréole under the baton of Washington, DC–based Opera Lafayette’s artistic director designate (and New Orleans native) Patrick Dupre Quigley. The production will draw selections from three acts of the opera. Morgiane will be mounted in full in Washington, DC and New York City in February 2025 by Opera Lafayette in partnership with OperaCréole. Visit operacreole.org for more details.

When New Orleans’s OperaCréole co-founder Givonna Joseph learned of Dédé’s newly discovered manuscript, she made it her mission to bring his full opera to life on the stage. After more than a decade of work, her dream is now realized. This concert, produced through a dynamic partnership between HNOC, the LPO, OperaCréole and Opera Lafayette, marks a pivotal moment in the repatriation of New Orleans composer Edmond Dédé’s life, music and legacy. The city’s musical and cultural powerhouses will finally unveil this previously unheard work in the composer’s hometown, in the St. Louis Cathedral, where Dédé was baptized in January 1828.