What happens when you're in a room and someone discovers opera for the first time? What happens for you, and maybe what happens for them?

I think it's ...

I, I really envy people who are discovering, uh, the sort of wonders of opera for the first time.

I think it's, um, very, uh, gratifying for me to be able to take somebody by the hand and lead them into the world of opera, which I think is, whether fairly or not, it's, it's ...

There are barriers to entry.

Um, I think opera still does somewhat suffer from a reputation as being an elitist, uh, art form.

And I think, um, those of us who are very passionate about opera and familiar with it don't realize just how intimidating it is for people who've never been to an opera.

Why do you, why do you think that that work is important to an opera company in 2026?