Victoria Chester Rose

As a child, I was captivated by the arts. I quickly found out that books could take me away to places I have never been before. Some of my favorites included Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby. Both stories filled with dramatic highs and tragic lows. I was intrigued by the internal battle of Miss Havisham and the decadence and sadness of Jay Gatsby. In fact, his character inspired my senior thesis. As a young girl I had a wild imagination, and the arts allowed me an escape, living in a world filled with drama, intrigue and adventure. I used to love creating plays and putting on shows for my family (not sure they loved it!). In college, I majored in Professional Writing and English. It was there that I was really introduced to the Pittsburgh Arts, attending many plays, musicals and the ballet. I attended an opera in my early 20’s and didn’t think it was for me. I was reintroduced to the opera around 6 years ago and I guess you could say it was love at 2nd sight! I fell in love with all of it… the costumes, the set, the stories and of course, the song! We are so lucky to live in a city that supports the arts and more importantly, these amazing singers! Without the support of donors, we would not be able to have a world class opera and attract the amazing talent that has joined Pittsburgh Opera over the years. Please consider donating and supporting our artists during this difficult year. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up” - Pablo Picasso