Ernest J. Gilbert, the founder and first CEO of Video Artists International (VAI) has passed away. He was 92.

Gilbert was a trailblazer in his industry. He founded VAI in Pleasantville, NY in 1983, becoming one of the first labels to release complete operas and ballets on home video. Among the first CDs produced by VAI were performances of arias sung by Phyllis Curtin, and the 1962 recording of the New Orleans Opera’s “Susannah.”

Gilbert worked with opera greats such as Paul Groves, Thomas Hampson, and Matthew Polenzani. Today, VAI remains an independent American CD and DVD-label specializing in classical music performances.