The Long Beach Opera has announced it has received the largest single gift in the company’s history of $1.25 million from long-time Board member Carol Richards.

Richards served on LBO’s Board from the company’s inception in 1979 until her passing in 2021, at which time she included Long Beach Opera in her estate plans with this historic gift.

The company announced that it plans to use the gift to make strategic investments that will build organizational capacity over time, slowly expanding its artistic offerings over the next five years.

In a statement, General Director and CEO Jennifer Rivera said, “We are so grateful to both Carol Richards and the Perenchio Foundation for their belief that LBO, as a hub for artistic innovation and expression that supports emerging artists and adventurous programming, warrants major support. We plan to utilize these gifts to make important investments in the future of LBO, allowing the company to thrive and grow, while continuing to focus on changing the artistic landscape with non-traditional programming like our 2024 season.”