Some additional African-American opera stars, for your information: Reri Grist, Grace Bumbry, Lawrence Brownlee.
Of course, it’s inconceivable that any of these people I’ve mentioned should have some relatives or friends who might just go to the Met to see them. (Especially if some of these relatives supported their musical education when they were growing up.) Or that some of the stars I mentioned just might be in the audience to watch someone else perform. Nope. No African-Americans at the Met.
Moving on from opera to other milieus:
Andre Watts is a living legend.
And don’t forget Condoleeza Rice, who was a concert pianist at one time.
And surely you must be aware (as an ABT subscriber) of the debut of an African-American as the Swan Queen. No African-Americans came to see her? Ah, so sad.
As far as support is concerned: I see some African-Americans at Met Patron events. At the welcome/cocktail reception for Yannick, there were some African-Americans there (gasp) and they even posed for pictures with him. At the dress rehearsal for Falstaff today, some African-Americans were there.
So no African-American is to be seen at the opera and they won’t support it? Not even when the Met does Porgy and Bess next season?
That just isn’t the case. (Not every African-American is from The Projects.)
Please don’t give me this crap about Rice’s “concert” performances. She’s the worst piano player in the world except for me. And I studied as long as she did. Phew! You would think with your background in attendance at the Philharmonic you would have picked up, at least, intuitive knowledge of who is a true musician and who couldn’t get hired at a piano bar on Third Avenue!
As I have said, there are plenty of African-Americans in classical music - you changed the subject from audience attendance to performers in your attempt to “pink” me, lol. This is the same way South Koreans are in classical music but rarely in the audience. Some of this is financial but some of it is indifference; certainly on the part of AA’s.
Oh, and one last thought to Mr. PC: the vast bulk of the audiences at opera, ballet, music in NYC are JEWISH. They are a cultured people. African-Americans can also be cultured but as I said they put their money and their love towards their church and the beautiful music their churches produce. Perhaps in your little life, you’ve never ventured into a Southern Baptist service. I was recently at the Dexter Baptist Church (Martin Luther King’s old parish) for his 90th birthday - we had two jazz bands and the music was superlative.
And, your remark about the projects disgusts me.