Little Opera at Grace in San Francisco, California will kick off a virtual opera after-school program starting on Sept. 21, 2020.

The program will provide children grades K-8 with the opportunity to write, composer, act, sing, design, and perform their own three-act mini-operas.

Each act will be composed over the course of the year with Act one set to be created in the fall session (Sept. 21-Nov. 18, 2020); in the Winter (Nov. 30, 2020 -Feb. 10, 2021) students will focus on Act two, and in the spring (Feb. 22 – May 2, 2021) they will complete the third act, record, and perform the opera.

The company also announced the announcement of Casi Maggio Kristant as its next Executive Director. Kristant takes over for Erin Bregman, who found the organization in 2011.

“I am so thrilled to welcome Casi to the Little Opera family. She is as impressive in person, as she is on paper. As a board, we knew the next Executive Director would need to have a rare combination of skills, including leadership, teaching, creativity and a commitment to innovation. Casi encompasses all of those, and more. Little Opera is well positioned to take on the challenges ahead and I look forward to working with her,” said Jonas Wright, Little Opera Board Chair, in a press release.