Name: DMMO Guild Kickoff Event: Des Moines Chapter
Start: 2026-09-21T18:00:00
Location: Noce Jazz & Cabaret

Des Moines Metro Opera

Join the Ames Chapter of the Des Moines Metro Opera Guild as we celebrate the success of the 2026 Festival Season and kick off an exciting 2027 season of opera!

This festive evening will bring together Guild members, friends and the Iowa State University Opera Studio, as we present the annual scholarship to two deserving students. Guests will enjoy special musical performances and have the chance to learn more about Des Moines Metro Opera’s upcoming 2027 season. You’re welcome to bring along a favorite dish for the potluck—or simply come, enjoy dinner, and be part of the celebration. This event is free and open to the public, with a delicious dinner provided.

The Ames Chapter hosts a lively calendar of concerts, opera previews and special events from October through May. We’d love for you to be part of it!

DMMO Guild Kickoff Event: Ames Chapter

City Church of Ames

Enjoy an evening of great drinks, great music, and great company while learning more about the Des Moines Chapter of the Des Moines Metro Opera Guild as it kicks off the 2026-2027 season! This event is free and open to the public.

DMMO Guild Kickoff Event: Des Moines Chapter

Noce Jazz & Cabaret

Step into a world where romance and imagination collide in Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann—a dazzling masterpiece filled with famous melodies, unforgettable characters, and spellbinding fantasy. Inspired by the tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann, this enchanting opera follows its poet-hero through three love stories, each more magical and captivating than the last. From sparkling choruses and lively drinking songs to soaring lyrical passages, Offenbach’s irresistible score brings to life mechanical dolls, doomed lovers, diabolical villains, and the transformative power of artistic inspiration. In a new production by Chas Rader-Shieber, humor, passion, and wonder intertwine in one of opera’s most imaginative and beloved works.

The Tales of Hoffmann

Simpson College

Philip Glass’s Orphée transforms Jean Cocteau’s celebrated reimagining of the Orpheus myth into a luminous meditation on art, love, and mortality. The poet Orphée, disillusioned by fame and estranged from those closest to him, is drawn into an enigmatic realm where the boundaries between life and death begin to dissolve. As he encounters a young poet, a mysterious Princess, and the ghostly forces that shape his destiny, Orphée embarks on a journey of self-discovery and artistic renewal. Set to Glass’s hypnotic score, Orphée is a haunting exploration of creativity, transcendence, and the enduring search for meaning. This striking new production once again showcases the artistry and imagination of visual composer Oyoram (Bluebeard’s Castle, 2023; The Cunning Little Vixen, 2025).

Orphée

Charismatic, good-hearted, and beloved by his fellow sailors, Billy Budd is pressed into service aboard a British warship during the Napoleonic Wars. His innocence and integrity inspire the crew, but also awaken jealousy and obsession in those around him. Based on Herman Melville’s classic novella, Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd is a gripping drama that explores the moral grey zones between innocence and corruption, justice and mercy, duty and conscience. At its center stands Captain Vere, forced to make an impossible choice that will alter the lives of everyone aboard his ship. Featuring one of opera’s most powerful scores, this searing tale of morality and fate returns to Des Moines Metro Opera in Kristine McIntyre’s acclaimed production ten years after its celebrated premiere.

Billy Budd

Discover opera’s rising stars at one unforgettable concert! The members of our Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program take the stage for one night only to perform opera’s greatest duets, trios and ensembles alongside our acclaimed Festival Orchestra.