Elementary School Students Challenge Each Other To Listen To Wagner's Full Ring Cycle

29 elementary school-aged students in San Francisco are taking on the ultimate opera challenge this month: listening to all 15 hours of Wagner's Ring Cycle. Little Opera students in grades K-5 started the 20-day listen-a-thon challenge last week, led by Little Opera student advisory board members Solveig Libicki and Danah Aroonchaipirom. Winning students will receive tickets to attend dress rehearsals of this summer's Ring Cycle at the San Francisco Opera.

The listen-a-thon is a student-led fundraiser for Little Opera, an after-school program where students work together for a full school year to write, compose, design, and perform their own original operas. Student advisor Solveig Libicki says "It's a good challenge because it pushes you to listen to more music, while raising money for something that you want to do."

To view student pages and support their listening challenge, visit 99pledges.com/fund/littleopera

About Little Opera

Little Opera is an after-school program in San Francisco that makes opera with kids. Students work with teaching artists for over 130 hours over the course of 9 months to write a story, craft a libretto, compose melodies, rehearse, and perform a 10-20 minute show. The result? A micro opera that is 100% built from their own imaginations.

Founded in 2011 by San Francisco playwright and librettist Erin Bregman, Little Opera's mission is to build a vibrant creative community - through the creation and performance of original opera - that transcends divides and transforms the lives of children, families, and artists. The program runs from September through May at West Portal Elementary School, with performances at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. More information: littleopera.org.