Pocket Opera North Beach, through nearly two decades of presenting a weekly chamber music series (1960-1978) at the Old Spaghetti Factory, to his present-day fame as the creator of one of San Francisco's most popular operatic institutions. Pippin's first translation came in 1968, in the course of preparing Mozart's one-act opera "Bastien und Bastienne" for performance as part of his chamber music series. The opera, and his singing translation of it, were immediate successes with San Francisco audiences. From that point on, Pippin has dedicated himself to the task of producing literate English versions of both well-loved classics and lesser-known gems of
Vienna State Opera of the Staatsoper. Recent examples include "Peter Pan", "" ("The Dream Gobbler"), "Der 35. Mai" ("The 35th of May"), C. F. E. Horneman's "Aladdin", "Bastien und Bastienne" and "Wagners Nibelungenring für Kinder" ("Wagner's Ring for children"). In addition to this, there is a production of "The Magic Flute" every year for 9- and 10-year-olds, decorated like the Opernball. The opera house also has an opera school for boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen, which takes place in the afternoons after regular school. The children are introduced to music theatre and the prospect of becoming opera singers.