Nov 26, 2024

Longtime volunteer Kurt Schwarz loves to give his time to Manitoba Opera because it connects him with the people and programs that make the opera season so exciting. But for Kurt, who works in spiritual care in a Winnipeg-based hospital, it’s also important to support Manitoba Opera by making an individual financial donation.  

“I want to ensure that this art form stays vibrant and alive for all Manitobans, especially during these times of tightening budgets,” he explains.  

“I appreciate how engaged the company is with the larger community, how they invite people into the art form by doing workshops and lectures,” he goes on. For Kurt, donating to Manitoba Opera is one way to ensure the organization can continue to do this important work.  

An avid opera fan, as with so many Canadian opera buffs, Kurt’s love affair started with Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on CBC Radio. Kurt is drawn to the art form’s many layers. It’s not just the performances of the singers but also “the rich orchestral scores, the beautiful set designs and costumes, and the captivating myths and stories,” he suggests.  

These can be contemporary narratives. “I really appreciated Manitoba Opera’s production of Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North last season, which helped bring onto the stage the culture and history of Indigenous people here in Manitoba,” he says.  

But operas written in very different times and places also resonate for Kurt. “These stories stay true because that have such a strong universal appeal. They speak to the human heart, the human experience.”  

He sees powerful connections to his own life and work. For example, there are health-related issues in La Bohème (which Manitoba Opera is presenting in April 2025). “These poignant moments of life and death remind me of my own work in spiritual care,” Kurt says.  “There’s something about seeing these very emotional scenes represented on stage that gives me the inner strength to be present for people in their time of need.”  

Because Kurt sees how opera impacts the work he does, he wants to throw out a challenge to other healthcare professionals who love opera. “If you feel Manitoba Opera matters to you, that it matters to our city and our province, then back up that feeling by making a financial gift,” Kurt advises.  

“There are so many reasons to be proud of this company!” he adds.  

Donating to Manitoba Opera is a meaningful way to express that pride.