FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome back to the theatre for the fiftieth anniversary season of Des Moines Metro Opera. This is indeed a cause for celebration! Who could have imagined that a small regional company in central Iowa could become one of the world’s most highly acclaimed summer opera festivals? During the past five decades we have presented operas from four different centuries, by 55 composers, in seven different languages, at more than a dozen different venues. We have mounted productions from the standard repertoire, enjoyed unique operatic gems, and presented cutting-edge works that address relevant, and sometimes unsettling, topics for modern audiences. This is perhaps what has made Des Moines Metro Opera so special—our ability to offer a wide spectrum of artistically stimulating works in intimate settings.

This season we continue on that path of excellence. We opened the season with Barrie Kosky’s revolutionary production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Audiences were awed by this innovative presentation at the Civic Center. It also marked our first collaboration with the Des Moines Symphony. This summer we offer four more exciting works; our first production of The Gershwins’ quintessential American opera Porgy and Bess, in honor of the renowned Iowa bass-baritone Simon Estes; the world premiere of A Thousand Acres, based on Jane Smiley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel; a frolic into the enchanted realm of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a glimpse at early twentieth-century cultural norms regarding race and sexuality, in our 2nd Stages Series production of American Apollo. Quite an ambitious effort! We hope you will enjoy every note.

We are also looking to the future, with a highly successful endowment campaign underway and plans for our 2023 season in the works. If you haven’t already done so, I hope you will consider joining our list of donors to the 50 Next Campaign. This will help ensure the financial health of Des Moines Metro Opera in years to come.

As my term as president of the board comes to a close, I would like to thank our visionary General and Artistic Director, Michael Egel, the industrious and gifted DMMO staff, our insightful and cooperative boards, our brilliant creative teams, and the outstanding artists. Most importantly, on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I offer our heartfelt gratitude to our loyal audience members and patrons. No production comes alive without the audience, and no opera company can survive without the generosity of patrons. I am humbled to have worked with such a talented team in this open-minded and appreciative community. THANK YOU for your continued support. Let’s raise a glass to the next 50 years!

Sincerely,

Virginia Croskery Lauridsen President of the Board