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Virginia Opera has launched an initiative to provide free in-school opera performances for elementary school students. In Northern Virginia, 17 elementary schools in Arlington and eight elementary schools in Alexandria will benefit over the next two years through the support by the Niles Trust. This Education Coalition Initiative, known as Adopt-A-School, was launched through a grassroots effort to sponsor in-school performances. Many of these productions are original world premiere works created by Virginia Opera's Community Outreach Musical Director, Dr. Glenn Winters. World premiere works by Winters featured in this season's tour include “A Trickster Trilogy,” a comic romp through three classic fables, and, in honor of Black History month, “Deep River,” the story of the African American contralto Marian Anderson. These 40-minute operas include singers, costumes and sets, and adhere to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Standards of Learning.