Directors


Robert L. Larsen
Artistic Director

Robert L. Larsen of Indianola, Iowa, has served as the Founder and Artistic Director of Des Moines Metro Opera since 1973. He has appeared as conductor with the Mississippi Opera and the DiCapo Opera Theatre in New York, stage director with the Carmel Bach Festival in Carmel, California, and musical and stage director with the University of Arizona Opera Theatre.

Most recently, he was a Professor of Music at Simpson College, where he taught piano, Medieval and Renaissance Music, 19th and 20th Century Music, Advanced Conducting, Romanticism in the Arts, and directed the Madrigal Singers. He has also coached singers at Tanglewood and Oglebay Park, West Virginia; Chicago and New York. In addition to his work as an educator, he compiled and edited the Opera Aria Anthology in seven volumes for G. Schirmer, as well as recordings of piano accompaniments of Mozart arias and Joseph Marx songs. 

He was selected as a recipient of the first Governor’s Award in Music and the 1999 Iowa Arts Award presented by the Iowa Arts Council for the State of Iowa. He recently received the Orpheus Award from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia for “significant and lasting contributions to the cause of music in America,” Simpson College’s Award for Distinguished Research for a second time, and Lambda Chi Alpha’s (his social fraternity) Order of Achievement.

 

Robert Montana
Managing Director

Robert Montana serves as the Managing Director after having served 14 years as the Director of Development and Community Relations for Des Moines Metro Opera. Robert is responsible for the entire operations of the Company including the $2.1 million dollar budget and overseeing marketing and public relations, development/fundraising and special events, box office and ticket sales in addition to personnel. Robert also serves as Secretary of the Des Moines Metro Opera Foundation Board of Trustees where he is responsible for planned giving campaigns as well as monitoring the daily activities and functions of the Foundation.

Robert currently serves on a number of boards including the Association of Fund Raising Professionals as Co-Chair of the 2009 and now Chair of the 2010 Philanthropy Day Luncheon Awards Ceremony. He also serves on the DCA Iowa Arts Council’s Cultural Leadership Program’s on-site evaluation team.

 

Michael Egel
Director of Artistic Operations

Michael Egel is the Director of Artistic Operations for the Company and has been a member of the year-round staff for ten years, as well as six years on the summer staff prior to that. He oversees DMMO’s extensive audition process and contributes significantly to the company’s repertory selection and casting process­—both for the Mainstage and for the Apprentice Artist Program. During DMMO’s summer festival season, he coordinates the activities of more than 150 company members, including creating the performance and singer-training components for the Apprentice Artist Program. During the winter, he works with the young artists of DMMO’s OPERA Iowa touring troupe in developing education materials and artist-led workshops and serving as a stage director for several of their touring productions. For nine years he was on the Affiliate Music Faculty at Simpson College where he taught a course in Opera History.

Michael has previously been on the administrative and directing staff at both Opera Memphis and the Natchez Opera Festival and has served frequently as an adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. During the last two years, he has served on the steering committee for the National Singer Training Forum with other singer-training personnel at OPERA America. He has been a panelist for the National Opera Association regarding career issues for young singers and has contributed to national publications regarding the auditioning process and training for singers.