Nov 19
The DMMO Years The 2016 Summer Festival – The Final Season And now we come to the 2016 Summer Festival. This would be my nineteenth season, and as things turned out, my final one. When I began the season, I had no definite idea that this would be the case. I was expecting that I …
Oct 28
The DMMO Years The 2015 Summer Season After those2013 and 2014 Summer Festivals, one would think that DMMO would take a bit of a break and go for lighter operatic fare. This was definitely not the case with the 2015 Summer Festival season, which was even more ambitious than its predecessor. Not only were there …
Oct 21
The DMMO Years The 2014 Summer Season Normally after a “blockbuster” of an opera season, the company would schedule operas that were more in the mainstream and a mixture of genres – from modern to the standard Italian repertory, and which were less costly to stage. Well. the DMMO was (and is not) your every-day …
Oct 01
The DMMO Years The 2013 Summer Season The 2013 summer season of the Des Moines Metro Opera was the most challenging of my nineteen seasons with the company. By this time the company’s new leadership had had time to grow into their roles (although, if truth be told, they were at the top of their …
May 28
The DMMO Years The 2012 Summer Season It seems that after the 2011 summer season ended, and the fall and spring seasons proceeded, it was once again time for yet another DMMO Summer Festival. This time, it was the 2012 festival, and in its organization, this one followed the general outline of the previous seasons., …
May 02
The DMMO Years The 2011 Summer Season The 2010 Summer Festival was a great success, and an excellent test of the team that would pick up the baton of leadership from Dr. Robert L. Larsen. Dr. Larsen was one of the co-founders of the Des Moines Metro Opera (the other being the late Douglas Duncan, …
Apr 18
The DMMO Years The 2010 Summer Season A Time of Transition The 2010 summer season was a time of transition for the company. It was this season that Dr. Robert L. Larsen began transitioning out of active leadership of the company, which he co-founded with the late Douglas Duncan in 1973. Up to and including …
Feb 19
The DMMO Years The 2009 Summer Season The 2009 summer season was one of the most interesting and at the same time, one of the most poignant of my tenure with the orchestra. Most interesting because of the repertoire, which included three operas, but what three operas! First out of the gate was Puccini’s “Tosca“, …
Feb 16
The DMMO Years The 2008 Summer Festival The 2008 Summer Festival season marked my tenth year and eleventh season as a member of the orchestra. All I could think of at the time was the usual, “My! How time flies!” It does indeed, especially when one is having as much fun as I did.With the …
Nov 12
The DMMO Years The 2007 Summer Season In many ways, the 2007 summer season of the Des Moines Metro Opera Festival was one of the most memorable. In terms of repertoire, this was a power-packed season. There were three mainstage productions, as was the norm for this period in the company’s development, plus the Artist’s …
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