The Ansonia

In 1973, four friends came together as they often did, at the Ansonia Hotel located at 2109 Broadway, New York City. 

​As it is told, Sis Mary Elise turned to Benjamin Matthews and whispered, “...It’s time Ben... You need to start your own company…what will you call it?” With a moment of pause, Ben uttered, “Opera Ebony.” Sis Elise said, “Give me your hands...let us pray,” and with the Divine presence around these four friends, it would be.

In that moment, Benjamin Matthews created the unimaginable for any man, an opera company.

​This Black Opera Singer from Mobile, Alabama conceived what would become the longest continuously operating Black Opera Company in North America. It would be the combined efforts of Benjamin Matthews, Wayne Sanders, Margaret Harris, and Sis. Mary Elise Sisson (SBS) whose shoulders the company stands on today.
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Since then, Opera Ebony has been guided by its mission to mentor and afford opportunities for underrepresented talent on, off, and behind the stage. The Company has been engaged in fully staged productions of works like Aida, Il Trovatore, Carmen, Fosca, Sciavo, Verdi Requiem, Cosi Fan Tutte, and countless more. While being engaged to sing in Finland, Moscow, Belize, and others, Opera Ebony has worked with some of the finest orchestras throughout Europe, Russia, and South America.

Over the years Opera Ebony has also had the distinction of working with some of the biggest names in Opera, Mark Rucker, Angela Brown, Kathleen Battle, William Warfield, Florence Quivar, Mavis Martin, Donny Ray Albert, Arthur Woodley, Camila Johnson, Jessye Norman, Leona Mitchell, George Shirley and Alfa Floyd, to name a few.

As we forge a new path, with the inspiration from our past, Opera Ebony accepts the challenges tomorrow brings and welcomes talent from all walks of life to take up that change and courageously step forward in fostering a new future of Opera worldwide.