Anthony Davis in Conversation
Thursday, October 19, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
In-Person at OPERA America’s National Opera Center
330 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY
AND Livestreamed
Shortly before his Metropolitan Opera debut, renowned composer Anthony Davis joins Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America, for a conversation about his career in opera: from the ground-breaking premiere of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X in 1985 to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Central Park Five to the upcoming opening of X at the Met.
Attendees are invited to a casual reception with the guest following the event.
Featuring:

Anthony Davis, composer
Composer Anthony Davis was the winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera The Central Park Five, which was presented at Long Beach Opera and Portland Opera. Davis has composed eight operas. His first, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, with a libretto by Thulani Davis, had its world premiere at the New York City Opera in 1986. A revised version of X, which debuted at Detroit Opera in May 2022, will be presented at the Met in 2023, Seattle Opera in 2024, and Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2025. Davis’ fourth opera, Amistad, also with a libretto by Thulani Davis, premiered at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1997. His other works include the music for the Broadway production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America as well as music for orchestra and chorus.
Davis is currently a distinguished professor of music at the University of California, San Diego. His future works include the musical Shimmer, the children’s opera Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, and orchestral works for Eastman School of Music, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.

Marc A. Scorca, OPERA America President/CEO
Marc A. Scorca joined OPERA America in 1990 as president and CEO. Since that time, the OPERA America membership has grown from 120 opera companies to 3,500 organizations and individuals. Under his leadership, OPERA America has administered two landmark funding initiatives in support of the development of North American operas and opera audiences and launched an endowment effort in 2000 to create a permanent fund dedicated to supporting new works and audience development activities. In 2005, Scorca spearheaded OPERA America’s relocation from Washington, D.C. to New York City and the subsequent construction of the National Opera Center, which opened in 2012 and serves 80,000 guests each year. The Opera Center’s recital hall was dedicated as Marc A. Scorca Hall in 2015 in honor of Scorca’s 25th anniversary with the organization.
Scorca has led strategic planning retreats for opera companies and other cultural institutions internationally, and has participated on panels for federal, state, and local funding agencies, as well as for numerous private organizations. He also appears frequently in the media on a variety of cultural issues. A strong advocate of collaboration, Scorca has led several cross-disciplinary projects, including the Performing Arts Research Coalition and the National Performing Arts Convention (2004 and 2008). He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation to UNESCO. Scorca serves as an officer on the boards of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Music Advisory Board of Hunter College (CUNY). Scorca attended Amherst College, where he graduated with high honors in both history and music.
Anthony Davis in Conversation is part of a composer mini-series this Onstage season, including Jake Heggie in Conversation (September 27, 2023) and Terence Blanchard in Conversation (April 25, 2024).
Join Us In-Person
Registration for the in-person event taking place at OPERA America's National Opera Center is $10 for members and $25 for non-members. Join today to access the member rate.
Join Us Online
Access to the LIVE BROADCAST is free, but advance registration is required. Register below and choose "LIVE BROADCAST" for your ticket type. You will be emailed tune-in details in advance of the event.
This event is part of OPERA America Onstage, our signature public programming series that welcomes artists, students, and opera audiences for intimate performances and conversations with our industry’s leading artists and rising talent. Learn more and see what's next at OPERA America Onstage.
Looking for more opera in your life? Check out the National Opera Calendar to find out what's on stage near you.
The 2023–2024 season of OPERA America Onstage is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Programming at the National Opera Center is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.