By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – Call it Oneonta’s “Next Top Conductor.”

Silus Nathanial Huff, Carolyn Watson and Maciej Żółtowski will each conduct one of three concerts in the Catskill Symphony Orchestra’s search for their new conductor, following the retirement of Maestro Charles Schneider last year.

“Our search for the new conductor started last September,” Laurie Zimniewicz, search committee chair. “We had 73 local, national and international candidates apply. We narrowed it down to 12, then nine, then five and then three.”

Now, the Symphony is asking for audience help in choosing the next conductor.

This fall, the three finalists will each spend a week in Oneonta, meeting with the board, Symphony patrons, the SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College presidents, and the musicians, conducting four rehearsals ahead of each performance.

Then, each will conduct a concert, and, at the end, the audience will fill out an evaluation of each candidate.