Des Moines Metro Opera

Des Moines Metro Opera Festival 2026 runs June 26–July 19 All productions, regardless of language, are performed with English supertitles above the stage.
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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 per

formances in the metro area and around the region. The company's summer festival season runs from May through July of each year during which three operas are performed in repertory. The summer festival season takes place in the intimate 467-seat Pote Theater at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts in Indianola, Iowa.

06/18/2026

An opera begins long before the curtain rises.

At Des Moines Metro Opera, it starts with rolling hills and golden fields beneath a boundless Iowa sky. It unfolds as guests gather near the theatre meadows, sharing stories before the music begins. Inside, extraordinary artists and artisans bring deeply human stories to life just feet from the audience. Sit any closer, and you'd need a costume.

This is the Des Moines Metro Opera experience. Intimate. Immersive. Unforgettable.

🎥: Estuary Motion Studios

When we think of John Steinbeck's novella OF MICE AND MEN, it's easy to focus on the brutality of the story. However, th...
06/16/2026

When we think of John Steinbeck's novella OF MICE AND MEN, it's easy to focus on the brutality of the story. However, this classic American tale goes much deeper.

"It's a story filled with fragile characters, outsiders desperate to belong, lonely people seeking solace in one another and in their shared visions of the future," writes Kristine McIntyre, stage director for DMMO's co-production of Floyd's OF MICE AND MEN. "It’s a poignant opera, and while Floyd never pulls his punches, it’s an opera that always reminds me of what it is to be human. And nowhere is this more evident than in the wonderfully crafted relationship between George and Lennie."

Read the full blog HERE: bit.ly/hopeisachoice

As the Principal Charity Classic comes to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for its continued support of I...
06/14/2026

As the Principal Charity Classic comes to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for its continued support of Iowa children's charities, including our OPERA Iowa educational touring troupe, through the Birdies for Charity program.

In just nine short weeks, OPERA Iowa traveled over 4,800 miles, presenting 60 performances of THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF, seven performances of CINDERELLA, and nearly 100 workshops, concerts, and masterclasses in schools and communities statewide. Thank you to the Principal Charity Classic for its extraordinary commitment to enriching the lives of young people across Iowa and beyond!

Revisit Janáček’s enchanted forest as Iowa Public Radio presents our 2025 production of THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN 🦊Hittin...
06/12/2026

Revisit Janáček’s enchanted forest as Iowa Public Radio presents our 2025 production of THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN 🦊

Hitting the airwaves June 13 at noon, THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN follows the cycle of death and rebirth through the instinctive and immediate world of nature—animal and human, which Janáček loved so dearly. In this celebrated score, singers and orchestra embody the sounds of the forest, the feel of sunshine on your face, and the thrill of a starlit sky.

This production features HERA Hyesang Park as The Vixen, Roland Wood as Forester, Sun-Ly Pierce as The Fox, David Cangelosi as Schoolmaster/Mosquito, Craig Colclough as Parson/Badger, with Maestro David Neely conducting the DMMO Festival Orchestra.

Listen online at IowaPublicRadio.org or tune in to your local IPR Classical station on Saturday, June 13 at noon (CDT).

📸 By Cory Weaver

There are festival surprises around every corner, like our impromptu distressing station!Members of our 2026 Costume Dep...
06/12/2026

There are festival surprises around every corner, like our impromptu distressing station!

Members of our 2026 Costume Department are hard at work creating the clothing for the farm hands for OF MICE AND MEN. The team uses a variety of tools such as electric sanders, sandpaper, files, and more to achieve the rugged look of 1930's farmhands; when audiences are a mere 6 feet away, every little detail counts!

What's better than one opera preview? How about TWO opera previews!Join Joshua Borths, DMMO Company Dramaturg, this Satu...
06/10/2026

What's better than one opera preview? How about TWO opera previews!

Join Joshua Borths, DMMO Company Dramaturg, this Saturday, June 13, for our 2026 Opera Previews: OF MICE AND MEN & KING ROGER. This event will provide an in-depth look at these spectacular productions, examining everything from the musical composition to the characters and what they might represent.

This preview event will be held at the Franklin Ave Library in Des Moines beginning at 2:00 pm (CT). This event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Today marks the opening of the Principal Charity Classic, an annual PGA Tour Champions event dedicated to investing in t...
06/10/2026

Today marks the opening of the Principal Charity Classic, an annual PGA Tour Champions event dedicated to investing in the future of Iowa’s children. That mission is one we share. Through our OPERA Iowa tour, we’re proud to invest in young people across the state through professional music education experiences.

Since 2007, the Principal Charity Classic has raised more than $73 million in support of Iowa youth. Through its Birdies for Charity program, those funds help make it possible for OPERA Iowa to reach more than 25,000 students each year in communities large and small across Iowa. This nine-week tour simply wouldn’t be possible without that support. We’re deeply grateful to the Principal Charity Classic for helping us bring live opera and music education opportunities to students statewide.

Take a look behind the SEAMS with DMMO Costume Director, Shelby Joiner 🧵Like many art forms, costuming begins with an id...
06/09/2026

Take a look behind the SEAMS with DMMO Costume Director, Shelby Joiner 🧵

Like many art forms, costuming begins with an idea. Then a sketch. Then application. However, it doesn’t stop once an artist is dressed. “Once the costumes are created, fit, and ready for performances, we still have to inventory, maintain, repair, and launder each piece on a regular basis,” says Joiner. She goes on to explain that in many ways, the creation of the costume is “just the beginning.”

Read the full article HERE: bit.ly/meetshelbyjoiner

As we prepare for the 2026 Festival Season, we're taking a closer look at our upcoming company premiere of Szymanowski's...
06/08/2026

As we prepare for the 2026 Festival Season, we're taking a closer look at our upcoming company premiere of Szymanowski's KING ROGER 👑

In his new article, "Throne into Chaos," DMMO General & Artistic Director Michael Egel explores the opera's central question: how do we reconcile reason and desire, order and freedom? Though inspired by the historical King Roger II of Sicily, KING ROGER is ultimately an inward journey—one that has captivated audiences for a century and remains as thought-provoking today as ever.

Read the full article HERE: bit.ly/throneintochaos

You're invited to an evening of friends, food, and fabulous costumes at our annual Threads & Trills Opera Fashion Show!T...
06/08/2026

You're invited to an evening of friends, food, and fabulous costumes at our annual Threads & Trills Opera Fashion Show!

This beloved DMMO tradition returns Friday, June 12 at 5:00 pm—reimagined with a bold new look. Set at the stunning Krause Gateway Center, Threads & Trills is a vibrant evening featuring live costume, wig, and makeup transformations, a runway-style presentation of the opera’s most spectacular costumes modeled by special guests, and breathtaking performances by DMMO artists, complete with heavy hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails.

Tickets are $50/person and can be purchased online at bit.ly/ThreadsTrills or over the phone at (515) 209-3257 (Mon-Fri, 10am - 4:30pm). Threads & Trills is also a great event to introduce friends to the fantastic world of opera.

We hope to see you there!

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

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