Alberto Vilar, the Cuban-born billionaire and philanthropist for the arts, is well-known for his generous contributions to opera, in particular. He recently delivered a keynote address at the Association of British Orchestras’ Annual Conference, discussing the role private contributors can play in the future of arts funding in Europe. In Part 1 of his speech, Vilar explains the personal and professional reasons behind his own charitable giving to classical performing arts.
I’m delighted to have the opportunity today to share some personal views and experiences on charitable giving to the classical performing arts. I had the pleasure of living in London in the 1980s, which laid the groundwork for the very special relationship I have with the arts in England.
