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Opera in the Schools

Opera à la Carte is an educational program offered through the San Francisco Opera Guild. It is an engaging in-school program consisting of a 45 minute adapted presentation of a main stage opera. Opera à la Carte reaches over 130 schools a year in the greater Bay Area, with eight to ten performances in the South Bay. It is a mini opera, sung in English and brought to the school by professional costumed singers, a pianist, and a docent. The singers rehearse and coach students who have already been prepared for their speaking roles by teachers in the schools. An assembly presentation to the whole school allows for appreciation of their fellow classmates, the professionals, and the opera. This fall will feature an adaptation of Puccini’s La Boheme.

If you are interested in becoming a docent for Opera à la Carte to bring opera to third through eighth graders in our area, please drop a note to SJOG P.O. Box 33025, Los Gatos, CA 95031-3025, Attention Susan.

Fall Lecture Series

The Fall San Francisco Opera Lecture Series begins on September 2, 2008, with Simon Williams speaking on Simon Boccanegra by Verdi. This lecture series is held on Tuesdays mornings, 10am to noon at the LDS Church, 15985 Rose Avenue, Los Gatos.

The second lecture in our Fall Lecture series will be on the new opera The Bonesetter’s Daughter, the speaker will be Ken Smith. To learn more, visit the list of events below:

• Sunday, September 21, 2008, 7:00 PM
  Dominican University of California, and Bookpassage present: Making of the Opera: The Bonesetter’s Daughter. This is a behind-the-scenes look.
  Angelico Hall, Dominican University of California, San Rafael.
  FREE and open to the public. No RSVP, limited seating. Doors open at 6 pm.
• Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm
  Bookpassage presents: Hao Jiang Tian (Chang the Coffin Maker): In conversation with Amy Tan on the book Along the Roaring River: My Wild Ride from Mao to the Met.
  Bookpassage, 51 Tamal Vista Boulevard, Corte Madera
  FREE and open to the public.
• Wednesday, September 24, 5:45 pm
  The University of San Francisco’s Center for the Pacific Rim presents “The Creation of The Bonesetter’s Daughter” Excerpts from & presentation by Stewart Wallace, composer and Clifford Cranna SF Opera’s Director of Music Administration
  Fromm Hall, University of San Francisco Campus (enter on Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton).
  FREE and open to the public. Reservations recommended: (415) 422-6828.

For a complete list of events, see San Francisco Opera center of Bonesetter's Daughter performance page.

Please note that the new fall season of lectures on six San Francisco Opera performances plus one West Bay Opera preview and one Opera San José season overview will be held at the L.D.S. church, 15985 Rose Avenue, Los Gatos. Rose Avenue intersects with Los Gatos-Saratoga Road (Highway 9) at the Monte Sereno City Hall and Post Office on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road.

For the full lecture schedule please see SJOG Lectures page or SJOG Fall Lecture Series.

Downtown Lecture Series

Opera Preview, New Season, New Artists!
Save the date! Tuesday, October 28, 2008 the Opera San José Downtown Lecture Series continues. It will begin promptly at noon in the MLK Library on Fourth Street, in the room next to the Beethoven Center (Fifth floor). Park in the Fourth Street Garage just across the street. Best availability of parking spaces is on the Fifth floor of the garage.

The lecture will be on Donizetti's Elixir of Love, principal artists of Opera San José will be featured. For more information on the Opera San José lecture series, please see the SJOG Downtown Lecture Series Schedule.

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