For 40 years, Des Moines Metro Opera has entertained and moved Central Iowa audiences with innovative programs and virtuosic performances.
In 1973, Richard Nixon was president, the World Trade Center opened, “American Graffiti” reigned at the box office, and Robert Larsen and Douglas Duncan decided to bring the world of opera to Iowans. Launched in Indianola with an initial gift of just $5,000 and a staff made up of volunteers, Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO) has thrived over the past four decades, drawing national acclaim and bringing the drama and grand beauty of opera to Iowans of all ages and backgrounds. Some highlights:
1975
The Apprentice Artist Program begins. From the company’s start, Robert Larsen (right) and Douglas Duncan believed that establishing a training program for young singers was crucial. Today, the program is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the nation, with more than 800 singers auditioning for 40 apprentice positions each year.
1980
The Des Moines Metro Opera Guild begins. Today, the guild has four chapters.
1986
DMMO commissions and then premieres a new work, Lee Hoiby’s “The Tempest” (right).
1987
OPERA Iowa (left) is established. Since then, the educational touring troupe, which presents operas written specifically for children, has introduced opera to more than 700,000 people in Iowa and nine other states as well as in China and Japan. The troupe performs for about 25,000 to 30,000 people a year.
1988
Duncan (left) dies. Jerilee Mace becomes the new managing director and in 1987 is named executive director, a position she holds until 2005.
1992
An endowment campaign begins with a $1 million challenge gift from John and Doris Salsbury (right). The Des Moines Metro Opera Foundation is established.
1996
OPERAtion Opera is established, an outreach program that allows low-income and at-risk individuals to attend opera performances at no cost.
1998
DMMO presents Giacomo Puccini’s
“Tosca” (right) in Italian at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. It marks the first time the opera company performs a work in its original language.
2010
Larsen is named artistic director emeritus and Michael Egel (right) is named artistic director.
2011
The Blank Performing Arts Center undergoes a major renovation that adds lobby space, new seating and an elevator.
2011
Karol Nickell (left) is named executive director.
Then and Now.
1973
Artistic Director
Robert Larsen
Venue
Blank Performing Arts Center
Operating budget
$27,000
Endowment
$0
Ticket price range
$3-$5
Program
“Albert Herring,” by Benjamin Britten
“Prima Donna,” by Arthur Benjamin
“The Medium,” by Gian Carlo Menotti
“La Rondine,” by Giacomo Puccini
2012
Artistic Director
Michael Egel
Venue
Blank Performing Arts Center
$2 million
$10 million in assets
$47-$87
Program
“Don Giovanni,” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“La Rondine,” by Giacomo Puccini
“Eugene Onegin,” by P. I. Tchaikovsky
Des Moines Metro Opera program covers through the years.
