The Summer Conducting Seminar continues its fun tradition, in collaboration with Opera Fort Collins Apprentice Artists, of presenting a delightful concert version of a popular operetta. The piece is directed by working music educators from around the country earning a Master’s degree in Music Education with a Specialization in Conducting through this unique program. Brian Luedloff, artistic director of Opera Fort Collins, will be returning as the director with Wes Kenney as musical director.

The Merry Widow, an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár, tells the story of a rich widow and her countrymen’s attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband. Well-known songs include the “Vilja Song,” “You’ll Find Me at Maxim’s,” and the “Merry Widow Waltz.”

The conductors:
Pin Chen
Sara Freese
Theodore Hallberg
Kevin Hertlein
JJ Mixdorf
Meredith Montgomery
Annie Nielson
Kendra Orcutt
Jeremy Overbeck
Donna Solverud