Sound Clips

OPERA IOWA CONCLUDES TOUR

On May 8 Des Moines Metro Opera’s OPERA Iowa troupe presented the final performance of its 37th annual statewide music education tour. Over the course of nine weeks, the eight-member troupe drove over 6,000 miles across Iowa and Missouri to present 70 classroom workshops, five aria concerts, six masterclasses and 93 performances of two operas: Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing and Grétry/Borths’ Beauty and the Beast. Over 24,000 students were impacted by the 2023 tour! Bravi to troupe members Alyssa Barnes, Logan Dell’Acqua, Brandon Hearrell, Nicholas Huff, Dura Jun, Sarah Rosales, Ariana Warren and Micah Zimmerman!

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Halfway through the OPERA Iowa tour, DMMO’s education and guest services director Kaylah Rude saved the day when she stepped in to sing the role of the Clown in Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing with only 24 hours’ notice! Kaylah sang the role at seven elementary schools with only four hours of staging rehearsal and a three-anda-half-hour drive to memorize music before her first performance. Thank you, Kaylah!

FAREWELL TO CHARI KRUSE

On March 24 DMMO bid a fond farewell to Chari Kruse, who retired after 25 remarkable years at the opera. Chari served in multiple capacities over the years, including Administrative Assistant, Front of House Manager, Housing and OPERA Iowa Tour Coordinator, as well as guiding the Indianola chapter of the Des Moines Metro Opera Guild. Thank you, Chari, for over two-and-a-half decades of memorable service!

WELCOME TO SUE HOSS

DMMO also welcomed Office and Company Manager, Sue Hoss. Sue comes to DMMO after a 25-year career in food media. She is excited to draw on her experiences in the hospitality industry to welcome artists and professionals and work with the DMMO team to create a one-of-a-kind cultural experience in Central Iowa.

THANK YOU TO DRAKE UNIVERSITY

Due to residence hall renovations this summer, DMMO learned recently that Simpson College will be unable to provide the usual number of units necessary for housing our 225-person seasonal staff. DMMO reached out to Drake University earlier this year to inquire about housing part of our company on campus to fill this gap. We are grateful to President Marty Martin and the Drake Residence Life staff for responding with a resounding “yes!” and working diligently to prepare accommodations. The DMMO Festival Orchestra will live and rehearse on Drake’s campus this season and commute to performances at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola. A generous gesture in our time of need!

PATRON TRIP TO EUROPE

Between April 1 and 10, a group of intrepid art and music lovers journeyed to Europe for a patron trip with DMMO and the Des Moines Art Center. Patrons joined DMMO General and Artistic Director Michael Egel and Art Center Director Jeff Fleming in Zurich, Vienna and Budapest for 10 days. Travelers saw three operas: Wozzeck at the Vienna State Opera, Parsifal at the newly renovated Hungarian State Opera, and Lakmé at Zurich Opera House where the group met superstar soprano Sabine Devieilhe after the performance (pictured above). Fleming curated day tours of numerous museums and private collections both large and small. The trip concluded with a memorable celebratory dinner honoring Fleming’s retirement and a milestone birthday for Egel on Easter Sunday in Budapest. Plans are already underway for future patron trips!