 The film opens with violinist Roberta Guaspari having been deserted by her US Navy husband and feeling devastated, almost suicidal. Encouraged by her mother, she attempts to rebuild her life and a friend from student days recommends her to the head teacher of a school in the tough New York City area of East Harlem. Despite a degree in music education, she has little experience in actual music teaching, but she's taken on as a substitute violin teacher. With a combination of toughness and determination, she inspires a group of kids, and their initially skeptical parents. The program slowly develops and attracts publicity.
Ten years later, the string program is still running successfully at three schools, but suddenly the school budget is cut and Roberta is out of a job. Determined to fight the cuts, she enlists the support of former pupils, parents and teachers and plans a grand fund-raising concert, 'Fiddlefest', to raise money so that the program can continue. But with a few weeks to go and all participants furiously rehearsing, they lose the venue. Fortunately, the husband of a publicist friend is a violinist in the Guarneri Quartet, and he enlists the support of other well-known musicians, including Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman. They arrange for the concert to be mounted at Carnegie Hall.
Other famous musicians, including Mark O'Connor, Michael Tree, Charles Veal Jr., Arnold Steinhardt, Karen Briggs, Sandra Park, Diane Monroe, and Joshua Bell, join in the performance, which is a resounding success.
The film's end credits declare that the Opus 118 program is still running successfully. They also report that the school's funding was restored during the making of the film.
What is the purpose of the fiddlefest concert? Where is the school located where Roberta takes a position as a substitute violin teacher? Whose idea was it to plan a benefit concert? What reason does Roberta to decide to put on a fund-raising concert?  How many schools are running Roberta's string program at the time her position is cut? What is the profession of Roberta's husband? What is the name of Roberta's program? What name was given to the fund raising concert? How long had Roberta been in her position before her sudden unemployment? Not all efforts were smoth sailing in planning the benefit, what specifically caused an upset? Where is the Fiddlefest concert finally held? How long does the string program last before budget cuts force it to close? Where in New York City was Roberta's new job located? Who is Karen Briggs, Mark O'Connor, and Michael Tree? How long does Roberta teach before her position is cut? How do the parents of the children in East Harlem react to the new music program? How much experience has Roberta had in music teaching when she takes her first job as substitute violin teacher?  Though the benefit concert was well received, what was the ultimate outcome? What is Roberta's fund raising concert called? In the midst of her deep despair, who was it that encouraged Roberta to move on with her life? What is the profession of Roberta's friend whose husband eventually helps to secure Carnegie Hall as a venue for the concert?  What instrument does Roberta Guaspari play? Why does Roberta lose her teaching job? What job does Roberta begin working, despite not having much experience? What was the name of the fundraising event put on by Roberta and her former students? What venue does the fund raising concert finally take place at?  Which orchestra does Roberta's friends' husband play for?  Which of the armed forces did Roberta's husband work for?