Lucy Caplan

Lucy Caplan, a musicologist and author, dives into her groundbreaking work on Black participation in opera. She explores how opera served as a means of self-expression and community identity for Black artists. The discussion highlights key figures like H. Lawrence Freeman, Nora Holt, and Theodore Drury, who each contributed uniquely to the operatic landscape. Caplan also examines the contrasting narratives in Black and white press coverage and the impact of segregation on operatic strategies. Her insights reveal a rich, previously untold history of Black operatic legacy.