The music project for all the family

Little opera is a not-for-profit association, unrelated to commercial purposes, which aims at giving children access to classical music and opera. Its productions remain as true to the original as possible, only being adapted as far as necessary to make them accessible for children and to make them relevant to their lived experience. In doing so, we achieve an opera experience which, though at a smaller scale, is comparable to a visit to the Grand Opéra. The children are free to decide for themselves whether or not they enjoy this music. We only aim at facilitating this decision. This is one reason why Little Opera foregoes didactic instruction and lets the works speak for themselves. New and fresh versions of the masterworks of Mozart and other great composers, adapted to the needs of children and opera novices, stimulate the enjoyment of classical music. Family-friendly productions of children’s musicals complete our repertoire.

Little Opera concert class at the music school in the town of Pinneberg (Musikschule der Stadt Pinneberg e.V.)
For young pianists, singers, and other instrumentalists
As a group we attempt to achieve to translate “simple” music into a stage-worthy production. The children receive multiple impulses and lose those inhibitions that stop them from “making real music”. We complement each other’s work perfectly, and we strive to support the children to the best of their ability in their endeavour to become real “little” (and maybe one day “big”) musicians. We support the children applying unusual methods and a high degree of personal attention. Workshops and field trips serve to introduce the children – about 15 at the time of writing – to the various musical eras, and they develop close personal connections to the works they will later perform through shared visits to the composers’ birthplaces. In the 2016/2017 school year, our main focus will be the music of the Baroque and Romanticism.

The generous donation of a stage piano by the Hans Thomann Foundation allows us to rehearse on concert trips and rehearsal away days as well as to offer performances in venues without their own piano.

We sincerely thank the Foundation.