Montana Lyric Opera relies on the support of local businesses and individuals who recognize the importance of art as a driver of cultural enrichment, educational achievement, and economic development.

Because opera incorporates all forms of the performing arts -- dance, drama, and music -- it is both the most expansive and expensive art form to present. Yet even as television and other recorded media have come to dominate our society, opera endures and expands as a popular art form: It is the fastest-growing of all the performing arts, according to a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts.

So how do we at Montana Lyric Opera go about covering our costs? In order for ticket prices to cover all expenses associated with one of our summer festival productions, we would need to charge upwards of $75 per seat – and still fill our performance halls to 80 percent capacity.

One of our fundamental goals at Montana Lyric Opera is to make art that is accessible to area residents of all levels of financial means. This is art that enriches the soul, that deserves to be shared as broadly as possible – and that is best experienced live, in an intimate auditorium.

There is a truism in our world: You get what y

ou pay for. At Montana Lyric Opera, we believe we come close to being the exception that proves the rule. Relying on an all-volunteer staff and board of directors, and working with many musicians, artists, theatre professionals, and laborers who have offered us their talents for free or at a fraction of their normal pay rates, we have already pulled together a stunning professional production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, sold-out productions of “Opera on Draft,” and a two-week opera camp for aspiring young singers in our first year of existence.

Those activities are just a taste of what we hope to provide to our community. But we are realistic about the limits of generosity we can expect from our local and visiting artists, and the prices we can charge for tickets.

That is why we need your generous support now. Your tax-deductible donation to the non-profit Montana Lyric Opera will help bring opera education to area schoolchildren who might otherwise never have an opportunity to contemplate and explore, first-hand, the potential that one finds in this convergence of all forms of fine art. It will also support the creation of great staged opera in Montana, thus helping to sustain this living, breathing form of cultural expression.

In times of turmoil, great art is there to remind us of the glimmering glories of human potential. We hope you will help us shine that beacon in our community.