Dr. Hannah Weaver, Assistant Professor of Percussion, and Professor Jeremy Baguyos, Professor of Double Bass/Music Technology, are playing with the opera orchestra of the Des Moines Metro Opera Summer Music Festival, for the renowned opera company’s 50th Anniversary Season. Highlights of the season include an appearance by Simon Estes and a newly commissioned work, A Thousand Acres, by composer Kristin Kuster and librettist Mark Campbell.

The orchestra musicians for the internationally recognized summer opera company are drawn from all over North America, to carefully form what Opera Today calls “a festival orchestra that would be the envy of many a major house.” In this picture, Dr. Weaver and Professor Baguyos are hard at work getting ready for a 1st read-through with the full cast for A Thousand Acres, but something doesn’t seem quite right about the picture. Hmmmm. Perhaps the summer heat has altered their instruments? Have a FUN summer, everyone!