Blank Performing Arts Center on the campus of Simpson College in late morning sunlight

Des Moines Metro Opera is an

opera company Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

Indianola, Iowa Indianola is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. Indianola is home to the National Balloon ...

, a town of approximately 14,000 inhabitants which lies some south of

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. It was founded by Robert L. Larsen and Douglas Duncan in 1973. The director is Michael Egel. During its annual summer opera festival, the company performs three mainstage operas in rolling repertory during June and July.

Programming

Most of the company's opera productions are performed at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of

Simpson College Simpson College is a private Methodist liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has about 1,250 full-time and 300 part-time students. In addition to the Indianola residential campus, Simpso ...

. In 1986 the company presented a new opera based on Shakespeare's ''The Tempest'', with music by

Lee Hoiby Lee Henry Hoiby (February 17, 1926 – March 28, 2011) was an American composer and classical pianist. Best known as a composer of operas and songs, he was a disciple of composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Like Menotti, his works championed lyricism at a ...

and a libretto by Mark Shulgasser. The company's first performance of an opera in a language other than English was ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...

'' in 1998, at the Civic Center in Des Moines.

Singers

Singers who had their start with the company include

Kimm Julian Kimm is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bruce Kimm (born 1951), American baseball player, manager and coach *Cory Kimm (born 1974), Canadian radio personality * Fiona Kimm, English opera singer See also *Polly Carver-Kimm, Am ...

References

Notes Sources *

External links

Des Moines Metro Opera website
{{authority control Performing arts in Iowa American opera companies Culture of Des Moines, Iowa Tourist attractions in Warren County, Iowa Musical groups established in 1973 1973 establishments in Iowa