Apollo theater and Opera Philadelphia partner to support new operas by Black artists

NEW YORK (AP) — The Apollo theater and Opera Philadelphia announced a five-year partnership Wednesday to support new operas by Black artists.

The two organizations collaborated on the New York premieres of Daniel Schnyder’s “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” in 2016 and Daniel Bernard Roumain’s “We Shall Not Be Moved” the following year, both after world premieres in Philadelphia.

Composers and subjects for the new works were not announced. An initial five-year term was planned for the partnership.

The Cincinnati Opera is premiering an Afrofuturist-themed production of Kevin Day’s “Lalovavi” on June 19, 2025, and hopes to present a Maria Thompson Corley composition on the life of U.S. Rep. John Lewis in 2026.