Lifetime Leaders: Larry and Dorothy Ely

LAUNCHING ANY NEW ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR is risky business. Many moving parts have to be synchronized. The results can be unpredictable and depend on a strong vision with dedicated people willing to rise to the challenge. All of the elements came together beautifully (and quickly) for Des Moines Metro Opera in 1973, in large part because…

In His Own Words

The Beginnings of the Des Moines Metro Opera Company by Robert L. Larsen It always seems to begin with the story of me and opera. As a boy I was interested in great art, music and theatre. I began taking piano lessons when I was 10—but even before that I developed a passion for opera….

Ellen Diehl announces retirement

After seven years at the helm of DMMO’s fundraising and philanthropic efforts, Ellen Diehl has announced that she will retire on January 31, 2021. Diehl has been an invaluable member of Des Moines Metro Opera since joining the staff in 2014, serving as Director of Advancement and Operations from 2014 to 2019 and Anniversary Projects…

Q&A with Tim McMillin

Name: Tim McMillinPosition at DMMO: Director of Development What do you remember about your first summer at DMMO as an administrative intern?I remember being in complete and utter awe (much as I still am after all these years) at the dedication, commitment, skill, talent, and utter grit it takes to produce this art form. From…

Spectres of the Stage

A Guide to Opera’s Most Famous Ghost Stories This year, Des Moines Metro Opera is bringing the supernatural to the stage with Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, but this is far from the only show to feature ghosts in the opera repertoire. Read on to learn about some of opera’s spooky scenes and horrifying haunts…

Vanity at Versailles

Rameau’s colorful ballet “buffon” made a splash at its premiere at Versailles in 1745, and now the marsh nymph prepares to make her debut on DMMO’s mainstage. It’s strange to imagine how an opera that is primarily an exercise in comeuppance was commissioned for a wedding celebration. Platée was composed for the nuptials of the…

Long Live the Queen

While Eugene Onegin is his most popular opera, The Queen of Spades may be Tchaikovsky’s best. In it, the composer of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake tackles Pushkin’s eerie Russian ghost story. If any composer embodies the essence of “Russianness,” it is Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, whose music often evokes his country’s landscape and is characterized…

Attend the Tale

Des Moines Metro Opera founder Robert L. Larsen explains how Sondheim’s musical thriller came from Broadway to Des Moines Metro Opera’s stage. The origin of this strange tale may have been a recorded murder in the later 18th century in the area of Fleet Street in London. A version appeared in serialized form for The…

“Des Moines Metro Opera Presents Bon Appétit!” receives Emmy!

At the Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday, November 14th, Iowa PBS’s broadcast of Des Moines Metro Opera presents Bon Appétit! won the 2020 Emmy in the Arts/Entertainment division! This marks the third Emmy win for Iowa PBS broadcasts of DMMO shows. The official nominees from the Arts/Entertainment division were: Becoming Wild: Ryan Donato –…

Q&A with Kaylah Hicok

Name: Kaylah HicokPosition at DMMO: Guest Services Manager and Education Coordinator How did you get started at DMMO? I started ushering for DMMO in 2015 after my freshman year at Simpson College. It was at Simpson that I met Dr. Larsen and learned about the opera. In 2017, I was hired as a Box Office…

My First Opera

In this new series, DMMO Board Member and Iowa City resident Tim Krumm reflects on his first experience with Des Moines Metro Opera. The first opera I remember seeing at DMMO is Madama Butterfly in 1974 with my mom, dad, my brother David and Grandma Laura. The great Carol Stuart was singing the role of…

A note from Michael Egel

Dear Friends, “If any further proof were needed that Des Moines Metro Opera is at the forefront of operatic excellence in America, their theatrically searing, musically impeccable Wozzeck would cement this assertion.” This was the opening line of a review from Opera Today in July and I hope you agree. Four all-original productions delighted us during…