With classical music's popularity thriving in Asia (as millions of youngsters in China in particular are studying piano and violin from early age), and with the financial difficulties facing classical music in the West, opera houses in particular (as the New York City Opera bankruptcy, the present negotiations at the Metropolitan Opera, the last minute rescue of this year's season at the Rome opera house, and the constant strikes at classical music venues in France suggest), the question is: can classical music be financed without significant government subsidies?