The home of Irving Guttman and Robert Dales is both an urban oasis and a tribute to Irving’s decades-long career in opera. Gifts, framed letters, and photos of great singers and composers reveal his impact on opera in Western Canada. But far from living in the past, the couple is intent on making a difference in the future of the UBC Opera program, with an estate gift.

Over 50 photos of opera greats hang on one wall of the living room. Prominently displayed is a portrait of Pauline Donalda, founder of the Opera Guild of Montreal, who gave Irving his first big break. “I was working there as assistant stage manager,” he says, “and Madame Donalda said, ‘We have to see if he has any talent.’ I was lucky enough to direct all her performances for six years.”

In 1960, Irving became the founding artistic director of the Vancouver Opera. In 1963 his production of Norma, starring Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne, put the company on the map. “Norma was very special,” Irving remembers. “The company was barely three years old and suddenly there was an international cast…people couldn’t believe what they were hearing.”

Robert and Irving’s partnership goes back four decades to when Robert, then an accomplished choral singer, met Irving in Vancouver. “So I got involved in opera,” Robert laughs.

While at Vancouver Opera, Irving met Nancy Hermiston, who was then a coloratura singer. When Nancy came to UBC as the Director of Voice and Opera Divisions in the School of Music, Irving and Robert became intrigued by the program. “It’s the full scope,” Robert says. “Students don’t just study singing, they also learn staging, acting, how to work with the musicians. And Nancy has very high standards.”

A UBC Opera production of La Bohème left a lasting impression on Irving and Robert. “The youth, exuberance, and excitement of the performers were so real and believable. I was so impressed with the high standard of the performance,” Irving says.

The pair is also excited about the renovation of the Old Auditorium. “It has so much potential,” Robert enthuses. “It has a lot going for it as a performance space: the best acoustics in Vancouver, and great Art Deco architecture.”

As Irving and Robert were considering their legacies a couple of years ago, they decided to make an estate gift to UBC. Their gift includes scholarships for Opera students, support for the Old Auditorium, and their extensive collection of opera memorabilia.

“The opera program gives students the training and exposure they need,” says Irving. “We wanted to make sure, in some way, that it endures.”

Robert adds, “The future of opera is at UBC.”