Recent decades have not been kind to the opera world, which has suffered a decline in audiences and aficionados.

The Riverside Lyric Opera, which serves opera fans from throughout the Inland area, is passionate about reversing the trend. The organization and its talented singers show that opera is still very much alive and growing in Riverside and the region.

The group's goal of becoming the regional opera company fits perfectly with Riverside's plan of being a city of the arts. The organization's president, Doris Perez, says: "Opera is a genre that's part and parcel of any city that wants to be a city of the arts."

Originally named the Riverside Little Opera, the company has been around for nearly eight years. Its board members and volunteers are a committed group who support the many efforts and needs of this growing organization. And, since it operates as a nonprofit organization on a meager budget (like so many nonprofit groups during this severe recession), the Riverside Lyric Opera usually does not have much money and resources to fulfill its ambitious plans.

However, whatever income and resources the opera does have, from tickets and sales of advertisements in its programs, is spent on key opportunities and performances. The principal performers and chorus usually receive little or no compensation, with the majority of proceeds going to the orchestra musicians who are comprised of local professionals.

"The orchestra adds a dimension to the opera that's invaluable. Our performances have greatly improved recently because of the addition of the orchestra element," said Daniel Olson, the organization's treasurer.

The Riverside Lyric Opera does not have a home hall. Although that has its drawbacks, the opera has been able to put on performances in a variety of neighborhoods and settings that often expose people to opera for the first time.

In addition to adding to the region's artistic development -- along with local ballet and theatre organizations -- the opera enhances the opportunity for school-age children to be exposed to opera and possibly become life-long patrons.

Mozart's "The Magic Flute," one of last fall's performances, came at an auspicious time: Last month marked the 218th year since this opera's opening night in Vienna.

Presenting such a high-profile opera is an ambitious undertaking for any company, but it's becoming the norm for Manuel Alberto Aybar, artistic director and conductor of Riverside Lyric Opera.

Aybar spent a year and a half preparing, planning and practicing this fall's performance. The organization's hard work led to a very successful and sold-out performance.

Perez said she hopes audiences have "Pretty Woman" experiences when seeing the performances.

In the movie, Richard Gere escorts Julia Roberts to an opera. Roberts' character fumbles with her opera glasses and is unaccustomed to the atmosphere of an opera. However, by the end of the performance, tears are streaming down her face and she has been converted into a fan.

Building access and support for opera from new patrons is a big part of what the Riverside Lyric Opera hopes to accomplish in the region, and it appears that they are well on their way.

Their next performance will be Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel" at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cesar Chavez Auditorium, 2060 University Ave., Riverside.

For more information about this performance, call 951-826-5746. To learn more about the Riverside Lyric Opera, call 951-781-9561 or visit www.riversidelyricopera.org.

For more information about the Nonprofit Spotlight, contact Daniel Foster, President/CEO of The Community Foundation at 951-684-4194 or DFoster@thecommunityfoundation.net.