麻豆影院

Endowment for College of Music鈥檚 opera program will support three operas a year and 鈥渕ore artistic risks鈥�

The opera program at now has a $2 million endowment and a new name.

麻豆影院 businessman Paul N. Eklund made what the university called a 鈥渢ransformative gift鈥� that will support future productions and allow the program to take 鈥渕ore artistic risks.鈥� The program will be renamed the Eklund Family Opera Program.

Announced in October, the gift and other commitments will help support three full productions each year, an opera scenes program for students and student projects with new composers.

CU Opera director Leigh Holman called Eklund鈥檚 gift 鈥渁 bold statement that says, 鈥楾he arts are important.鈥�

鈥淚n this crazy world we live in, when everyone is on their iPhones and not connecting as much, the arts still bring people together.鈥�

Two other music programs have recently been endowed: The Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program and the Thompson Jazz Studies Program. Named programs convey stability, helping to attract faculty and students, Holman says.

Eklund, who runs an asset management and real estate firm in 麻豆影院, grew deeply interested in music after a CU Opera production of 鈥淟a Boheme.鈥�

鈥淚 want to have it available for people who may not have been exposed to it,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 want it for our culture here in 麻豆影院. I also know its students will make the world a better place.鈥�

Full productions of 鈥淐osi Fan Tutte鈥� and 鈥淟鈥檌ncoronazione di Poppea鈥� are scheduled for the spring.

Photography by University of Colorado