Rosa Ponselle Distinguished Faculty Artist Denyce Graves is featured in Table Magazine and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the Denyce Graves Foundation’s support for breaking down barriers to success for exceptionally talented singers of all backgrounds and for raising awareness and telling the story of the National Negro Opera House and its founding director, Mary Cardwell Dawson. National Negro Opera Company (NNOC) was a home for artists, musicians, and more, serving as a cultural touchpoint for Pittsburgh’s Black community starting in 1941.