Des Moines Metro Opera

Des Moines Metro Opera is an American opera company based in Indianola, Iowa, which lies some 19 km (12 mi) south of Des Moines, Iowa. It was founded by Robert L. Larsen and Douglas Duncan in 1973.[1] The director is Michael Egel.[2]

Blank Center for the Performing Arts at Simpson College, the main performing venue of Des Moines Metro Opera.

During its annual summer festival, the company typically performs three mainstage operas in rolling repertory during June and July.[3]

Programming

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Most of the company's opera productions are performed at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Simpson College.[citation needed]

In 1986 the company presented a new opera based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, with music by Lee Hoiby and a libretto by Mark Shulgasser.[4]

The company's first performance of an opera in a language other than English was Tosca in 1998, at the Civic Center in Des Moines.[5]

Singers

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Singers who had their start with the company include Kimm Julian.[6]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ Egel and Smith, p. 24
  2. ^ Morain, Michael (2010). "Des Moines Metro Opera names Egel as director". DesMoinesRegister.com. Retrieved 21 September 2010. [dead link]
  3. ^ Kellow, Brian (June 2003), "Letter From Des Moines", Opera News, vol. 67, no. 12, pp. 44–46
  4. ^ Rockwell, John, "Opera: Hoiby's The Tempest in Iowa", The New York Times, 12 July 1986
  5. ^ Egel and Smith, p. 27
  6. ^ "Simpson Singers Achieving National Success", Simpson Magazine, p. 9, Winter 1991

Sources

  • Egel, Michael; Smith, McB (2007), Des Moines Metro Opera, A 35-Year Perspective, Des Moines, Iowa: Des Moines Metro Opera, ISBN 978-0-615-17627-7
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