Nora the Nonapus is a children’s opera in one act.  It was commissioned by Long Leaf Opera for Estes Hills Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC as part of the Opera in the Schools Outreach Project.  It was premiered in June 2007 on the Long Leaf Opera Festival.  Scored for five lead roles (two children and three adults), chorus, piano and Orff instruments, the production included over 100 fourth and fifth graders. 

    The opera is based on a children’s book written by Zoe Gan, Vaishnavi Krishnan, Alison Smith and Susan Cavender who were fifth-grade students at Estes Hills Elementary School when they wrote the book.  It was chosen as the winner of the Kids Are Authors Award and was published by Scholastic, Inc.  The libretto was adapted from the book by the composer.