In 1926, George Gershwin wrote the author of the novel "Porgy" to suggest that they collaborate on a musical stage production of the story. Although Heyward agreed, no contract was signed until much later.
In 1933, Heyward and Gershwin signed a contract to begin work on the score for "Porgy and Bess." Gershwin wrote the score while researching in South Carolina and New York.
The first performance of the opera was in 1935 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This performance was only offered privately and the music was performed as a concert rather than a stage production.
The world premiere of "Porgy and Bess" was performed at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. This performance took place on September 30, 1935.
The European premiere of "Porgy and Bess" was performed at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark. This performance took place on March 27th, 1943.