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PRINCIPAL ARTISTS

DES MOINES METRO OPERA is one of the country's premiere summer opera festivals, with an annual operating budget of over $2,000,000. The Company features nearly 200 talented singers, musicians, coaches, conductors, directors, and staff in three productions each season.

Des Moines Metro Opera has presented some 600 performances of 115 productions since 1973. Hailed by the Kansas City Star as “a national treasure,” patrons and the critical press (including Opera News) come from across the country to enjoy this summer festival presented in an intimate 488-seat theatre located on the campus of Simpson College in Indianola.

For the 2011 Summer Festival Season, DMMO will perform Puccini’s La Bohème, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Principal singers will be in residence from May 28-July 17 with performances in repertory beginning June 24, 2011. Artists may be engaged for one or more roles. In addition to performance fees, shared apartment housing and travel stipends are provided to principal artists. Generally, DMMO engages principal artists through management. Limited time will be available for artists without management who are auditioning only for principal roles. Due to significant time constraints, it will not be possible for DMMO to schedule a live audition for every applicant. An accompanist is provided for all auditions. Artists will most likely be heard for the following principal roles in the 2011 repertory:

Bohème: Rodolfo, Mimi, Musetta, Colline, Benoit/Alcindoro (Marcello is cast)
Pasquale: Pasquale, Norina, Ernesto (Malatesta is cast)
Dialogues: Blanche, Constance, Mother Marie, the Chevalier, the Old Prioress, the Marquis (Lidoine is cast)

Please note that it is possible some roles will be cast before the Chicago and New York auditions.


MANAGED ARTISTS

Des Moines Metro Opera has developed relationships with a core group of artists representatives. The Company contacts those artists' representatives in late August with audition dates and repertory information for fall auditions. Artists with representation should contact their representative for information on these auditions. No application form is necessary for managed artists. Representatives new to DMMO seeking to receive audition announcements should submit a request in writing together with information about the artists on their rosters to the DMMO offices in August of each year via regular mail.

UNMANAGED ARTISTS

Des Moines Metro Opera will also hear unmanaged artists in audition for principal roles, however, time for these auditions is usually very limited and will be allocated to artists auditioning for particular roles and with substantial previous performing credits. Please see the application form for further information and role availability.


AUDITION DATES:

Chicago: Oct 29 & 30
New York: Nov 1-6

Click here to download a 2011 Principal Artist Audition Request form.


As much as we would like to hear everyone who submits audition materials, it is seldom possible because of time considerations. An accompanist is provided by DMMO for all live auditions.