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Monday 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm

Des Moines Metro Opera

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Des Moines Metro Opera

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Festival 2027 runs July 2–25. The company's summer festival season runs from May through July of each year during which three operas are performed in repertory.
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“Des Moines has become one of the country’s most ambitious and successful smaller companies.” — The New York Times

Experience world-class opera in a theatre that brings you within arm’s reach of the action on stage. Des Moines Metro Opera has taken its place as a major American summer opera festival and is one of the Midwest's largest performing arts organizations, annually producing over 100 performances in the metro area and around the region. The summer festival season takes place in the intimate 467-seat Pote Theater at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts in Indianola, Iowa. All productions, regardless of language, are performed with English supertitles above the stage.

11/01/2026

Huge congratulations to soprano Emma Marhefka (DMMO apprentice artist and Frasquita in CARMEN, 2023) for sweeping Operalia, the World Opera Competition, last night in Shanghai with THREE awards: First Prize, The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela, and the Rolex Prize of the Audience!

10/27/2026

It's the final week to stream DMMO's OF MICE AND MEN on Iowa PBS!

Don't miss your chance to see this acclaimed production honoring the centennial of the Father of American Opera, Carlisle Floyd. Featuring tenor John Findon as Lennie Small and baritone John Moore as George Milton, the production brings Steinbeck's iconic characters to life in the most compelling and heartfelt way.

Don't miss Carlisle Floyd's OF MICE AND MEN, streaming on demand exclusively on Iowa PBS until November 2, 2026. To watch the full production with behind-the-scenes interviews, visit to.pbs.org/4hvKUiE

10/24/2026

Happy 🌎🎶

Nothing compares to the thrill of live opera in our intimate, one-of-a-kind theatre at the Blank Performing Arts Center on Simpson College's campus. Here, audiences are within arm’s reach of the action on stage. Sit any closer, and you’ll need a costume.

This summer, audiences from 41 states and six countries joined us to through new productions of TOSCA, OF MICE AND MEN and KING ROGER. As one national critic observed, “Des Moines Metro Opera continues working its magic, summer after summer, as it steadily turns itself into one of the nation’s premier opera festivals.”

We can’t wait to welcome you next summer for Festival 2027, featuring THE TALES OF HOFFMANN, ORPHÉE and BILLY BUDD. Experience opera up close → bit.ly/DMMO2027

📸: Cory Weaver

10/21/2026

🏆 BREAKING NEWS: Iowa PBS’s broadcast of “Des Moines Metro Opera presents THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN” has won the Upper Midwest Regional Emmy® for Outstanding Program in Entertainment: Long Form Content!

This is Iowa PBS’s sixth Regional Emmy win for a Des Moines Metro Opera broadcast. Our immense gratitude and heartfelt congratulations go to Iowa PBS, to Judy Blank and her entire team, and to the extraordinary cast, crew, and orchestra!

10/20/2026

Join the DMMO team!

We are hiring for the position of Box Office Manager. A key member of our Advancement team, this position oversees ticketing operations and assists ticket buyers and donors by phone, email, and in person at DMMO performances and events. The role also processes ticket orders, donations, and contact updates, maintaining accurate records that support our work year-round.

If you’re detail-oriented, service-minded, and enjoy collaborating with colleagues and connecting with patrons from around the globe, we hope you'll consider applying!

To learn more → https://desmoinesmetroopera.org/employment/

🏆 BREAKING NEWS: Iowa PBS’s broadcast of “Des Moines Metro Opera presents THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN” has won the Upper Mi...

10/18/2026

10/14/2026

We have another Met: Live in HD screening this weekend! Join us on Saturday at 12pm for MACBETH, presented with Des Moines Metro Opera. A representative from DMMO will be present 30 minutes before each screening to share information about DMMO, the upcoming 2027 Festival Season, and connect with patrons!

Two of opera’s most extraordinary artists star in Verdi’s thrilling take on Shakespeare’s immortal tale. Quinn Kelsey is the Scottish king haunted by the ghosts of his murderous ascent to the throne, opposite Lise Davidsen—the world’s reigning dramatic soprano—as the power-mad Lady Macbeth, whose ruinous ambition damns them both. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for a penetrating production by Louisa Proske, a brilliant young director making waves around the world.

Tickets at: https://varsitydesmoines.com/movies/the-metropolitan-opera-2026-27-macbeth/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=or

10/12/2026

Congratulations to soprano Madison Leonard and baritone Ian Rucker, both nominated in the Rising Star category at the 2026 International Opera Awards!

Often called the "Oscars of opera," the awards celebrate outstanding achievements on stage and behind the scenes while championing the artists who bring opera to life.

Madison was a member of DMMO's 2016 Apprentice Artist Program, and Ian makes his DMMO debut next summer in the title role in Britten's BILLY BUDD. We hope you'll join us in congratulating them both on this wonderful achievement and wish them the best of luck at the award ceremony!

Winners will be announced on Saturday, November 21, at Vienna's MusikTheater an der Wien.

Learn more about the awards and see a full list of nominees here:https://operaawards.org/archive/2026/

10/08/2026

“Another op’nin’, another show!” 🎶

Make your hometown the next stop for Des Moines Metro Opera’s OPERA Iowa troupe this spring! From beloved opera arias and ensembles to Broadway favorites, OPERA Iowa Spotlight Concerts bring professional artists to your stage for an engaging, intimate concert experience. These all-ages performances are a wonderful way to bring the whole community together for an afternoon of beautiful music.

The 2027 tour runs February 22–April 30, and dates are filling quickly. Book your Spotlight Concert soon! To learn more or book, visit https://desmoinesmetroopera.org/operaiowa/

10/05/2026

An apprenticeship is about more than building a résumé. It’s a chance to grow as an artist, forge lasting relationships, and have some fun along the way!

After receiving a record 1,127 applications for the 2027 season, the DMMO artistic team is preparing for a national audition tour spanning seven cities in just one month to select the next 40 artists of the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program. Now in its 53rd year, the program is one of the oldest and largest in the country. Over seven weeks every summer, emerging singers hone their craft through coaching, concerts, scene programs, and performance opportunities in mainstage productions, including chorus, comprimario roles, and covers of leading roles.

“My two summers with the deeply supportive artistic family at DMMO offered unique chances to explore bold, unconventional repertoire early in my career, along with some epic pickleball matches with friends.” —Robert Frazier

Address

106 W Boston Avenue
Indianola, IA
50125

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15159616221

Website

https://desmoinesmetroopera.org/

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