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Des Moines Metro Opera
View on Wikipedia | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2022) |
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]
During its annual summer festival, the company typically performs three mainstage operas in rolling repertory during June and July.[3]
Programming
[edit]
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
[edit]Singers who had their start with the company include Kimm Julian.[6]
Labor Abuse Investigation
[edit]In September of 2025, The Des Moines Register released six articles detailing labor abuse allegations against Des Moines Metro Opera. [7] Among other labor abuses, the investigation revealed that production crew and singers continually work far more than a 40-hour week, with some crew members working more than 100 hours.
References
[edit]Notes
- ^ Egel and Smith, p. 24
- ^ Morain, Michael (2010). "Des Moines Metro Opera names Egel as director". DesMoinesRegister.com. Retrieved 21 September 2010. [dead link]
- ^ Kellow, Brian (June 2003), "Letter From Des Moines", Opera News, vol. 67, no. 12, pp. 44–46
- ^ Rockwell, John, "Opera: Hoiby's The Tempest in Iowa", The New York Times, 12 July 1986
- ^ Egel and Smith, p. 27
- ^ "Simpson Singers Achieving National Success", Simpson Magazine, p. 9, Winter 1991
- ^ Jett, Tyler. "Register investigation: Des Moines Metro Opera wins immense recognition, but at what cost?". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
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
