Name: The Rake's Progress
Start: 2025-07-18T19:30:00
Location: Simpson College

The Des Moines Metro Opera's 2024-2025 season offers a diverse array of events that promise to captivate audiences with the beauty and depth of opera. From the Apprentice Spotlight Concert kicking off the festival season to a lineup of previews and full productions, the season is a testament to the enriching power of the performing arts. Join us as we explore the highlights of this season, featuring rising opera stars, engaging previews, and powerful performances that showcase the transformative nature of music.

Des Moines Metro Opera: A Season of Artistic Exploration and Celebration

The Des Moines Metro Opera is set to deliver a captivating series of events, celebrating both the burgeoning talents of tomorrow and the enduring allure of classic operas. Kicking off with the Apprentice Spotlight Concert, audiences are invited to witness a series of performances that traverse the spectrum of opera, from enchanting previews of 'The Cunning Little Vixen' and 'The Rake's Progress' to the grand tales of 'The Flying Dutchman.' Each event promises an immersive experience, not just for seasoned opera lovers but for newcomers eager to explore this vibrant art form.

A Season of Opera: From Rising Stars to Timeless Tales

The Des Moines Metro Opera's 2024-2025 season is set to be an extraordinary journey through the world of opera, showcasing the talents of emerging artists and timeless masterpieces. From the Apprentice Spotlight Concert to riveting performances of 'The Flying Dutchman,' 'The Cunning Little Vixen,' and 'The Rake's Progress,' this season promises a rich tapestry of musical storytelling. With captivating performances, each event offers a unique opportunity to delve into the passionate world of opera, celebrating the art form's future while honoring its storied past.

Exploring the Future of Opera: Highlights from Des Moines Metro Opera's 2024-2025 Season

Step into a world where raw talent, timeless tales, and vibrant creativity unite to celebrate opera's future. The Des Moines Metro Opera’s upcoming events promise a spectacular showcase of emerging talent and classic narratives reimagined. From the Apprentice Spotlight Concert's aria-filled evening to the dramatic depths of 'The Flying Dutchman' and the lively adventures of 'The Cunning Little Vixen,' these events offer a rich tapestry of storytelling and musical brilliance. Join us for a season that invites both seasoned opera lovers and new enthusiasts to discover the future of this timeless art form.

Discover the Future of Opera: A Journey Through the 2024-2025 Season at Des Moines Metro Opera

Experience the captivating tales of love, sacrifice, and redemption at Des Moines Metro Opera’s summer series. With performances of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman,' Janáček's 'The Cunning Little Vixen,' and Stravinsky's 'The Rake's Progress,' audiences are invited on a journey through stormy seas, enchanted forests, and the temptations of city life. Esteemed performers and conductors promise an unforgettable season, immersing spectators in the profound depths of human nature. Join us at Simpson College for an opera experience like no other.

Exploring Human Nature Through Opera: A Summer at Des Moines Metro Opera

Des Moines Metro Opera presents a captivating season, bringing to life timeless tales through three enchanting operas: Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman,' Janáček's 'The Cunning Little Vixen,' and Stravinsky's 'The Rake's Progress.' Each production offers a unique perspective on love, fate, and redemption, set against vibrant backdrops and performed by talented artists. With mesmerizing scores and compelling narratives, these operas invite audiences to explore profound themes while enjoying exceptional performances.

Exploring Artistic Depths: A Journey through Opera at Des Moines Metro

Des Moines Metro Opera's 2025 season promises a spectacular journey through the world of opera, showcasing a diverse range of productions. From the haunting echoes of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman' to the playful whims of Janáček's 'The Cunning Little Vixen', audiences will be immersed in evocative storytelling and musical mastery. With 'The Rake's Progress' by Stravinsky and the film adaptation of 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips', the season is a testament to the timeless allure of opera. The 'Stars of Tomorrow' concert will spotlight emerging talent, promising an unforgettable experience for opera lovers.

Opera Enthusiasts Rejoice: A Captivating Journey Through Des Moines Metro Opera's 2025 Season

Jonas Hacker

Matt Boehler

Meredith Arwady

Joélle Harvey

Christian Sanders

Christopher Allen

Joseph Park

Sam Carl

Vivica Genaux

Noah Mond

Isaac Martin Lerner

Chas Rader-Shieber

Connie Yun

Robert Perdziola

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.

Stars of Tomorrow 2027

Drake University

Inspired by William Hogarth’s famous series of paintings, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress charts one man’s path from pleasure to ruin. When the mysterious Nick Shadow appears, Tom Rakewell abandons his sweetheart, Anne Trulove, and leaves behind his country life for the temptations of the city. But London’s glittering promise soon dissolves as love, money and sanity slip farther and farther from his grasp. Can true love save him, or will the devil get the last laugh.

The Rake's Progress

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