Nina and Claude Gruen

The Opera gratefully reflects on the life and generosity of Nina Jaffe Gruen (1933-2017) and the continued friendship and support of Claude Gruen. Just last year, Nina shared her opera story with the Bel Canto Legacy Society. She remembered attending her first operas as a little girl at the Cincinnati Zoo and humorously recounted the unforgettable lion’s roars during those performances. Years later, Nina and Claude saw Eugene Onegin in Vienna—“it was love at first sight”— a special moment that inspired their lifelong love for the art form. They became longtime subscribers, generous donors, and Bel Canto Legacy Society members. During Nina’s lifetime, she and Claude had attended 21 Ring cycles at San Francisco Opera! “How lucky we are to have one of the world’s great opera companies at our doorstep. Our legacy gift helps guarantee that the Company will be there for future couples—when they too fall in love with opera.