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[[image - black and white photo of Mary Cardwell Dawson, portrait]]
[[caption]] Talented member of a musical family, Mary Cardwell Dawson devotes her brilliant talents to oepning field for young aspirants[[/caption]]

Mary Cardwell Dawson

Mary Cardwell Dawson began the study of music as a pianist at a very youthful age. Her musical background which encompasses a wide field including organ and conducting was enhanced by her studies in New York, Chicago, and Bostn. She completed fulle course in Theoritical Subjects, Piano, Organ, Voice, Stage Deportment and Opera Technique.
 
Mrs. Dawson is nationally known as a musician of versatility having founded and maintained for a number of years the Cardwell School of Music in Pittsburgh; organized and presided over the Pittsburgh Branch of the National Association o Negro Musicians, Inc.; founded the famous prize-winning Cardwell Dawson Choir of Pittsburg (her own pupils).

For two years she was national president of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. She is organizer and founder of the National Negro Opera Company, Inc., which has electrified audiences in Madison Square Garden of New York, the Watergate in Washington, D. C., the Civic Opera House in Chicago and the Syria Mosque in pittsburg with its magnificient performances of "Faust," "La Traviata," and "Aida" which brough to national attention many brillant artists.
 
She is a member o the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
 
Mrs. Dawson sang the entire role of Juliet in the opera, "Romeo and Juliet" in Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburg, Pa., and has appeared on the leading Concert stages in Concert. She was also guest artist on radio's leading programs, and a long sustained program over WCAE and KQV in Pittsburgh. She was guest artist at World's Fair in New York and Chicago. She has had many contracts with the Pittsburg Sun Telegram daily paper in their Anual Music Festivals at Forbes Field, appearing before an audience of 35,000 as organizer and conductor of a 1,000 voice choir.
 
Because of her unselfishness and atruism in her field, Mrs. Dawson has neglected for a number of years the concert stage upon which she has appeared so brilliantly in order to devote her rare gifts to the making of opportunities for and securing recognition of Negro Artists.
 
Mrs. Dawson's fine musicianship was nutured by loving parents, Mrs. Elizabeth Cardwell and the late James A. Cardwell, who foresaw the brilliant uture of their child. Her ability is shared with her three sisters and a brother, all of whom are talented musicians and dramatic artists.