La bohéme, Madama Butterfly, The Magic Flute. Since 1965, the San Diego Opera has been bringing spectacular music and arts to the local, national and international communities.

On March 19, 2014, the San Diego Opera pulled the trigger and announced that it would shut the company down at the end of the 2014 season. This came as a shock not only to many opera aficionados, but also to others in society that believed opera was a sign of culture and magnificence in this day and age.

According to OPERA America, the San Diego Opera is ranked as one of the top ten opera companies in the United States, and “is a widely respected member of the international opera community and an invaluable cultural resource to the San Diego community.”

So, why the closure? Financial reasons are an obvious culprit, along with lack of successful fundraising, low ticket sales, and age and death of the largest supporters.

The strongest supporters of the San Diego Opera is a generation that is withering away. The generation of people who would amass at the opera, dress up, socialize and converse over the awe-inspiring works of composers such as Puccini, Mozart and Verdi are dying off; there is no way to beat around that bush. It is not like it used to be. The appreciation for grand opera has diminished, and our society is to blame. With all the technology at our fingertips, all this “music,” television shows, advertising and so on, the mass media produces nothing of quality and everything for money.

“The demand for opera in this city isn’t high enough,” said Ian Campbell, the company’s general director, in an interview with LA Times reporter, David Ng.

“Our passionate belief in our mission and our art form compels us to seek new audiences for opera, to enrich lives and stir the imaginations of all who open themselves to its uniquely magical allure,” is the message the San Diego Opera liked to encourage. Operation: Opera, the award winning education and outreach program of the San Diego Opera is among the most intensive and varied in the United States. The program brings music and arts in the lives of 100,000 children in San Diego County and Northern Mexico.

Why does opera matter? Opera culminates music, drama, visual art and emotion onto the stage. It is the most powerful form of expression and gives us the understanding of true emotion and passion. Our society attributes opera to that of the past, of the snobbish and wealthy, which is far from the truth. Opera encompasses and conveys the powers and passion of what it means to be human. Where else could you find the human emotions of love, jealousy, hate, struggle for power, loss and achievement all at once?

As of now, the San Diego Opera has postponed its closure until May 19 to give organizers more time to fundraise for the 50th season which would be celebrated in the 2015. These extra weeks will allow the board, which has seen some changes since the announcement of the closure, to raise money and create a budget that could allow for the continuance of the San Diego Opera.