Who: Givonna Joseph
Degree: Bachelor of Music Therapy, ‘80
What: Co-founder and Artistic Director of OperaCréole
Givonna Joseph founded OperaCréole in 2011 with her daughter, Aria Mason. She serves as the organization's artistic director. OperaCréole works to bring “restorative justice to the world of Opera in the first city of Opera – New Orleans,” specifically by uplifting long-lost or rarely performed works by composers of African descent.
Joseph’s research on 19th Century New Orleans free classical and operatic
composers of color, and Creole history and heritage, has been featured in The New
Yorker and Southern Living magazine, on National Public Radio, and, most recently, on the NBC Nightly News.
Joseph was previously honored as an international soloist; as a Standard Bearer of Louisiana culture on Le Grand Tour, a French TV documentary; and, locally on Music Inside Out. The mezzo-soprano has been featured in many New Orleans Opera productions, and serves on its Diversity Committee and Advisory Board.
Joseph received the Torchbearers Award from the New Orleans Regional Chapter of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 2022.
Joseph is also an adjunct professor in the School of Music and Theatre Professions, where she teaches an Opera, Classical Music, and Race course. She was previously the education director for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
