Opera, the Gift of a Lifetime

David Paulhus is on an adventure. An opera adventure.

Ever since his fateful encounter with Aida at the Opéra de Montréal in 1986, David has attended over 1,000 opera performances. 1,000! Not only in Montréal, but also in Toronto, New York, Paris, San Francisco, London, Brussels...

And his adventure continues today.

But there's more to it than that. What's most remarkable, is the care David takes in preserving and organizing his memories of all these shows. At home, an entire library contains - carefully sorted by composer - the programs of those countless precious evenings spent at the opera.

He also keeps a register of all the composers, works and artists he has had the chance to see and hear. He can tell you precisely how many times he has seen his favorite opera - La traviata, 21 times - or attended Wagner's complete Ring (14 times). You'd be hard-pressed to name a remotely renowned tenor or soprano he hasn't already heard in person!

But David's adventures are not confined to classical territories. His archives bear witness to numerous excursions off the beaten track, into the realms of Baroque and contemporary opera. His curiosity also extends to theater, musical comedy and cinema.

A long-time subscriber to the Opéra de Montréal - he has missed only one performance since 1986, The Student Prince (1994) - David is well aware of the importance of community in supporting an institution like the Opéra de Montréal. On his childhood farm in the prairie heartland of western Canada, there was no opera or live art. It was only later, when he moved to Montréal for his studies, that he had the chance to experience a real show performed professionally. It was a shock, a revelation, the beginning of an adventure.

Today, David is proud to support the Opéra de Montréal's mission and programs on an annual basis, "to the best of his ability". He understands and supports the need to diversify programming. He understands that the Montréal market is not the same as New York, Paris or even Toronto. He understands the importance of exposing people to opera, of making it accessible - how many kids like him, growing up on a farm, could suddenly develop an intense and immense love of opera?

Recently retired, David has updated his will to include a bequest to the Opéra de Montréal. It's his way of acknowledging how the Opéra de Montréal, for almost 40 years now, has helped enrich his life through rich discoveries and vibrant experiences. It's his way of expressing his great love of opera, that "deep and infinite thing" (dixit Mimi from La bohème), and of keeping the adventure alive, forever and ever.

To you, dear David, and to all those who support the Opéra de Montréal, a big THANK YOU!

To find out more about bequests to the Opéra de Montréal, reach out to:

ANTOINE GERVAIS
Gestionnaire, relations et partenariats philanthropiques
Manager, Donor Relations and Partnerships
T  514 318.5391
agervais@operademontreal.com