The Minnesota Opera comes to Austin schools - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports

AUSTIN, Minn. (KTTC) -- Students at Neveln Elementary in Austin are receiving a bit of culture shock this week.

Members of the Minnesota Opera are bringing "Opera 101" to Austin as they teach opera with hands-on activities and mini-performances, all leading up to a final production put on with the help of the students they teach.

The opera company along with the kids will bring "Through the Ears and Eyes of Mozart" to life, and after only a few days of interaction, the singers know they're opening the kids up to a whole new world.

"The kids just love it," said Bergen Baker, Minnesota Opera's Teaching Artist. "They love the sound, they love the spectacle of it, and I actually had one 4th grader say to me yesterday 'I love opera because I love the way the music forms a line to tell a beautiful story,' and stuff like that coming from a fourth grader is really quite incredible."

The Minnesota Opera will also put on a concert with the Austin Symphony Orchestra to open up its concert season at the end of October with help from the students.