Ever since Darren Fedewa was young, music has been a big part of his life.

Fedewa, a 17-year-old Huron High School senior, first fell in love with music while listening to his mother give piano lessons. After years of playing instruments such as the violin, the cello and the tuba, Fedewa eventually found his true passion — singing.

Fedewa isn’t trying to become the next American Idol or a pop star, either. Instead, he’s pursuing a much older form of singing not often popular among young people: Opera.

“The thing I found remarkable about opera is the sheer amount of technique and focus you have to have to sing some of these songs,” he said. “You have to sing 12 of these songs and use no microphones, so you have to project your voice into these huge halls. I see it as pushing the envelope of what the human voice and throat can do.”

Fedewa has been singing for seven years and is a member of Huron’s A Cappella Choir and Chamber Choir. He’s currently auditioning for music schools around the country and hopes to become a professional opera singer and perform in Europe.

Fedewa’s goal of becoming a professional opera singer could take a step forward this summer if he’s able to participate in the Saarburg Festival in Germany. Fedewa is trying to raise the estimated $4,000 it would take to cover fees and airfare to attend the festival.

Among the fundraising efforts is a benefit concert to be held at 8 p.m. April 15 at the new auditorium at Huron. Fedewa will perform solo, singing German and Italian art songs, as well as shorter English songs.

“It’s going to allow me to be able to have the opportunity to study in Europe, something that not all vocal performance majors have a chance to do before they go to college and they don’t have the opportunity to be in the vicinity close to the place the music they’re singing was created,” he said.

Richard Ingram, head of the music department at Huron, said Fedewa has a real talent and will end up being able to choose which college program he wants to attend.

Ingram said the Saarburg Festival would be a great chance for Fedewa to not only further his own vocal skills but also to see where he stacks up against young singers from around the world.

“This is a kid who’s really serious about his music study and he has a baritone voice that is pretty unusual for a high school student,” Ingram said.

Ray Digby, a local business leader who has known Fedewa for a number of years, said Fedewa’s passion for opera and the German language is obvious.

“When you talk to the guy in person, you can see the passion he has perfectly,” Digby said.

Anyone interested in donating money to help Fedewa attend the festival is encouraged to make checks out to Darren Fedewa Festival Fundraising, which can be sent to 3298 Turnberry Lane in Ann Arbor.

• Watch Fedewa perform with Fatima Poggi in the Young People's Theater production of Elton John's "Aida."

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.