World premiere of historic opera comes to St. Louis Cathedral

Written By Alicia Vial

HNOC’s Musical Louisiana debuts New Orleans native Edmond Dédé’s ”Morgiane” 

NEW ORLEANS - On Friday, Jan. 23, 2025, the Historic New Orleans Collection’s (HNOC) will present the 17th annual Musical Louisiana in the St. Louis Cathedral featuring the long-awaited world premiere of New Orleanian Edmond Dédé’s “Morgiane” (1887), the earliest known surviving full-length opera written by a Black American composer.  

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. White and 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.  

“Morgiane is the most important piece of American music that no one has ever heard. . . . The American musical community has been deprived of this masterpiece for over 130 years; it is high time that Dédé and his music take their rightful place in the American musical canon.” — Patrick Dupre Quigley, NBC Nightly News, February 2024 

HNOC will host a preconcert panel discussion at 5 p.m. with artistic director Givonna Joseph (OperaCréole), artistic director designate Patrick Dupre Quigley (Opera Lafayette), Dédé biographer Sally McKee (University of California, Davis) and musicologist Candace Bailey (North Carolina Central University). The event will be moderated by HNOC family historian Jari C. Honora and will take place at HNOC’s Williams Research Center located at 410 Chartres S.  

Musical Louisiana is a free, educational concert for music lovers in New Orleans and throughout the state. Dedicated to the study of Louisiana’s contributions to the world of classical music, the award-winning concert series reaches an audience of more than 30,000 individuals through live radio broadcasts and online video streaming of the concert. This year's concert will be streamed live on LPOmusic.com and WLAE.com. WWNO will broadcast the program on 89.9 FM and Classical 104.9 FM in the New Orleans area and KTLN 90.5 FM in the Houma-Thibodaux area. 

This world premiere in New Orleans is co-presented by HNOC, OperaCréole and the LPO, courtesy of the production partnership between OperaCréole and DC–based Opera Lafayette, who collaborated to produce Edmond Dédé’s “Morgiane”. Generous support for Musical Louisiana comes from J.P. Morgan, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Arts New Orleans, Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, National Endowment for the Arts, Birdfoot Festival Board of Directors and Villa Albertine, a division of the French Embassy of the United States.   

Admission to Musical Louisiana is free and open to the public. RSVP at hnoc.org to receive concert reminders and email updates. Seating is first-come, first-served. Registration does not guarantee a seat. 

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About the Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, the Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the stewardship of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. For more information, visit hnoc.org, call (504) 523-4662, or follow HNOC on Facebook and  Instagram. 

About Musical Louisiana 
Since 2007 Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage has been copresented by the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Dedicated to the study of Louisiana’s contributions to the world of classical music, the award-winning series reaches an audience of more than 30,000 individuals through live performance, live radio broadcasts and online video streaming of the concert.  

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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