His historic performance took place ten years before black singer Marian Anderson performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

Until that night, black singers of classical music had almost no chance of performing in major American opera houses and theaters.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

One of the first broadcasts came from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in nineteen ten.

VOA: special.2010.01.31

His fame as Porgy helped him get the part in "Pagliacci" with the New York City Opera Company.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

Here Todd Duncan sings "O Tixo,Tixo,Help Me" from the opera "Lost in the Stars" composed by Kurt Weill.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

This opera was first performed in nineteen forty-two at a center for Jewish children without parents in Prague,Czechoslovakia.

VOA: special.2009.10.05

And,he was proud of being the first African-American to break the color barrier in a major opera house.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

He has designed productions for performance groups including Cirque du Soleil, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, and Disney Theatrical Productions.

VOA: special.2009.09.23

Marian Anderson's presence made it possible for other black singers to become opera singers in the United States.

VOA: special.2009.01.25

At that time, however, black singers were not permitted in white opera companies in the United States.

VOA: special.2009.01.25

is their finest film. Groucho tries to get a rich woman to invest in an opera company.

VOA: special.2009.07.19

In nineteen sixty, at the age of twenty-three, she made her international debut at the Paris Opera.

VOA: special.2009.11.30

He knew that black singers in America were not permitted to sing with white opera groups.

VOA: special.2009.01.18

In 1955, Marian Anderson was asked to sing with the New York Metropolitan Opera company.

VOA: special.2009.01.25

Zaha Hadid has designed other striking buildings like the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

VOA: special.2011.04.13

Mario Ritter tells us more. The Dallas Opera in Texas and four other opera companies hired American composer Jake Heggie to write the opera "Moby Dick."

VOA: special.2010.06.11

All the other singers in the New York City Opera Company production were white.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

He felt perfectly at ease. He had only to look at his tuxedo to know he belonged with all the other beautiful people in the opera house.

VOA: special.2009.04.11

His works over the years include the opera "Nixon in China."

VOA: special.2010.07.19

and "A Night at the Opera." In "Horse Feathers,"

VOA: special.2009.07.19

The opera takes place in the southern United States.

VOA: special.2009.06.22