Michael Spierman of the Bronx Opera Company likens the company's cuts to a debilitating disease striking a patient.
"He may still be alive, but he will be extremely weakened," Spierman said.
Under the plan, museums and other large institutions will lose 15 percent of their city support. Smaller programs, such as the opera company, will lose between 70 and 80 percent of city funding.
Because the city provides a quarter of the opera company's $115,000 annual budget, Spierman said his company would survive. But he said cuts will affect the borough because the company will spend less money at local businesses.
"Art is not just a taker, but a giver," Spierman said.
--Sarah Hambro