> 1949 - William Grant Still's opera, "Troubled Island" receives its world > premiere at the New York City Opera. In addition to marking Robert > McFerrin's debut as the first African American male to sing with > the company, the opera is the first ever written by an African > American to be produced by a major opera company.
My notes indicate that Todd Duncan was the first African American to sing with a major American opera company. He sang with the New York City Opera in the role of Tonio in Leoncavallo's _I pagliacci_ in 1945. Randye
