Here’s $22 million. Go make an opera
OperaHouston Grand Opera are still practically speechless after a pair of regular patrons, Sarah and Ernest Butler, presented them with a goft of 22 million dollars.
That’s big, even in Texas.
The couple had been subscribers for 35 years. She is an ex-teacher, a retired otolaryngologist.
How do you make $22m? And how do you spend it?
A few more details here.
Well, when the bankrupted states in Europe will no longer be able to finance operas, hopefully there still will be wealthy music lovers who will…
Good for them. They have their priorities right.
That money should help cancer research.
More important than opera.
Aren’t you on the wrong site?
Cancer research isn’t exactly starved for money in the US. We can do more than one thing.
The history of music is a history of patronage.
Well said.
This is in addition to a $40mm gift to the School of Music at the University of Texas, which is now named in their honor. Texas is a lucky state to have generous patrons like the Butlers…just take a look at our concert halls, art museums, and arts education programs.
I love patrons like this! Thank you!
While great news, the HGO orchestra was given a 1% raise.
Wow, very generous gift. Unfortunately funding is not the problem faced by this company…it’s bad artistic leadership. Unfortunately I don’t think Patrick Summers is going anywhere since he truly encompasses the Peter Principal. Seeing the decline of this once great company has been sad.