Naomi André is an American scholar of music. She is the David G. Frey Distinguished Professor in Music at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. She is also the first scholar-in-residence of the

Seattle Opera Seattle Opera is an American opera company based in Seattle, Washington. The company's season runs from August through late May, comprising five or six operas of eight to ten performances each, often featuring double casts in major roles to all ...

and the

Des Moines Metro Opera Des Moines Metro Opera is an American opera company based in Indianola, Iowa, which lies some south of Des Moines, Iowa. It was founded by Robert L. Larsen and Douglas Duncan in 1973. The director is Michael Egel. During its annual summer fest ...

Biography

André grew up the only child of a single mother. Her mother sang high coloratura soprano and studied operatic singing at the Juilliard School. She received her B.A. from

Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

in 1989. She was the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

’s department of music in 1996. André taught at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, first at the

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) is the undergraduate and graduate school for the performing arts of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. The school was founded in 1880 as the Ann Arbor School of Music ...

, then at the

College of Literature, Science, and the Arts The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is the liberal arts and sciences school of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Established in 1841, the college is home to both the University of Michigan Ho ...

until 2022, when she joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her scholarship focuses on 19th century Italian Opera as well as the issues of race, representation and gender in Opera with an expertise in the works of composer

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

. In 2020, André was named the inaugural scholar-in-residence of the Seattle Opera, where she acts as an adviser to help the opera company become more inclusive, both for contemporary audiences and behind the scenes, such as improving racial and gender representation in the company's internal operations. In 2022, she was also named the inaugural scholar-in-residence of the Des Moines Metro Opera for the 2022 festival season.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:André, Naomi Living people University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty Harvard University alumni Barnard College alumni University of Michigan faculty American musicologists Year of birth missing (living people)