Todd Duncan; Pioneer in Desegregating Opera in U.S.

Todd Duncan, a pioneer in desegregating American opera who played the original role of Porgy in George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” died Saturday of a heart condition in his Washington, D.C., home. He was 95.

Duncan later became an internationally renowned concert singer who performed more than 2,000 times in 56 countries.

A 70-year resident of the nation’s capital, he also taught in the music department at Howard University.

In 1945, he became the first African American artist to perform with the New York City Opera, singing the role of Tonio in “I Pagliacci.”

Gershwin selected Duncan from more than 100 applicants to play Porgy. Throughout the show’s initial 124 performances on Broadway in 1935, Duncan appeared as Porgy. He also appeared in “Porgy and Bess” revivals in 1937 and 1942.

The opera was a lightning rod for controversy and sparked a range of opinions within the African American community.

Critics savaged the production as stereotyped and racist, while others maintained that despite its shortcomings, it opened the doors of the American stage to black performers.

Duncan, a native of Danville, Ky., attended Butler University and the College of Music and Fine Arts in Indianapolis.

He received a master’s degree from Columbia University.

He is survived by his wife, Gladys, and son Charles Duncan.