Aug 10, 2023

Audrey Hubbard has seen opera grow and change a great deal in Manitoba throughout her 95 years. By making a planned gift to Manitoba Opera’s Endowment Fund, she is excited to be part of that growth well into the future.

Audrey caught the opera bug as a young girl during the Second World War. A traveling company had come to town to perform in the old auditorium (now the Archives Building), and Audrey’s father took her family to see Rigoletto. 

“I had no idea what to expect. I’d never seen a live play before!” Audrey recalls. “It was in Italian and I couldn’t follow the story at the time, but the music really hit me.”

After that, Audrey remembers having to travel all the way to Minneapolis with her sister to get her fill of live opera.  That is why it was especially thrilling for her when the newly formed Manitoba Opera mounted its first production in 1972.

She recalls her first experience with Manitoba Opera fondly. “It was the concert version of Il Trovatore. I couldn’t wait to see them put on a full production with costumes after that.”

Since then, Audrey attended almost every Manitoba Opera production until mobility became an issue. 

“We went all the time. Having the opera here was great for developing wonderful Canadian singers.” 

Early in the company’s history, Audrey decided to become a Manitoba Opera donor, making her first gift in 1974. It was important for her to give because she loves the art form. 

“As I can’t be a performer myself, the best I can do is help those who can. It makes me feel part of it.”

In later years, she added a gift in her will to Manitoba Opera’s Endowment Fund. She loves the idea that her gift will be invested at The Winnipeg Foundation.

“It will keep on long after me,” she explains. “The performing arts add immeasurably to what our city offers. I want them to continue and to give work to local people. I want them to be in Winnipeg because I love this place.” says Audrey.

With a clear love for her city and for the performing arts, Audrey is thoughtful about her legacy. She has been a part of Manitoba Opera’s story since the beginning, and with a bequest to the Endowment Fund, she will be part of that story for decades to come. 

For information on making opera part of your legacy, please contact Director of Development, Tania Douglas, at 204-942-2163 or tdouglas@mbopera.ca