Missing the music scene

I concur with Larry Lapidus’ essay in last Sunday’s (May 3) paper (“Darkness at the Fox: A spiritual silence”) that there’s a huge void when we can’t listen to live classical music in Spokane. We are blessed with many talented musicians in our city, and we have a great classical music scene here.

Larry touched on the Spokane Symphony and BachFest, but didn’t mention our wonderful Inland Northwest Opera, which is the only professional opera company serving the Inland Northwest. INO brings in world-renowned talent and emerging artists from the opera world, as well as highlighting local favorite singers. The productions are of high quality, musically and dramatically, and draw ever-increasing audiences.

Last season’s “Madama Butterfly,” for example, featured truly elegant and inventive staging as well as world-class musical performances. It was a night to remember! And, while the main stage performances are grand and wonderful, the annual comic opera presented on the “Opera On the Lake” cruise is always a rollicking good time in a breathtakingly beautiful setting.

As an opera fan and the communications manager of Opera Buffs Spokane, I’m grateful for INO and its performances and look forward, as Larry does, to the time when we can all enjoy concerts and shows together in the Fox Theater and all over our region.

Ann Benson

Spokane