John Malveaux: The Negro Philharmonic Society was founded in New Orleans well before the Civil War [Edmund Dédé (1827-1903) was a member who fled to France]

Naxos 8.559038

Edmund Dédé  (1827-1903)

African American Composer, Violinist & Conductor
is featured at

http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Dede.html

John Malveaux of 

www.MusicUNTOLD.com 

writes:

The Negro Philharmonic Society was founded in New Orleans well before the Civil War. The orchestra at one point had more than 100 performers, including a few white members. Its director, Constantin Debergue, was a black violinist. Racial hostility put an end to the Society prior to the Civil War. Two of its former members, Edmond Dede (1827-1903) and Charles Lucien Lambert, Sr. (c.1828-1896) fled New Orleans in the 1850s and made successful careers in France and Brazil. Dede graduated from the Paris Conservatory and worked as a conductor in Bordeaux, France for 27 years. See http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/dede.html