An opera mega-fan left a surprising gift in her will to several major arts organizations in New York City totaling $1.7 million.

Lois Kirschenbaum, who died in 2021 at age 88, made plans to donate gifts of $215,000 each to several prestigious New York City arts institutions, including the New York City Opera, American Ballet Theater, Carnegie Hall, George and Nora London Foundation for Singers, and the Public Theater, the New York Times reports.

Kirschenbaum, who reportedly lived a frugal lifestyle, was an avid viewer of the Metropolitan Opera, always watching from the standing-room area, and a fixture at the stage door of each show, making friends with several performers. While many of her gifts were awarded to arts organizations, she also allocated funds to Jewish groups, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, nonprofits that assist the blind, such as the American Foundation for the Blind, and her former employer, the International Rescue Committee.

“Lois’s love and dedication to opera and its artists was absolute,” said George and Nora London Foundation for Singers president John Hauser, who announced that one of the next George London Awards will be given in her honor. “She was a real friend to the foundation, and whenever she was in the audience, we were the center of the New York opera world.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Mauro Repossini)