Des Moines Metro Opera Announces its lineup for its 2024 festival.

All productions will be performed in rotating repertory at the Pote Theatre at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola, Iowa. Each opera features English supertitles. The Des Moines Metro Opera Festival Orchestra will accompany all four productions.

Starting things off is Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” starring baritone Alexander Birch Elliott as Figaro and Sun-Ly Pierce as Rosina. Tenor Duke Kim makes his mainstage debut in the role of Count Almaviva. Other cast members include Ashraf Sweailam and Vartam Gabrielian. Gary Thor Wedow conducts Lindy Hume’s company debut production.

Performance Date: June 28, 30, July 5, 14, 16, & 20, 2024

Nathan Troup’s new production of Richard Strauss’s “Salome“ is next. The cast includes soprano Sara Gartland making her role debut under Principal Conductor David Neely’s lead. Chad Shelton also stars as Herod and Gwendolyn Jones as Herodias.

Performance Date: June 29, July 7, 13, & 19, 2024

Next is the company premiere of Claude Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande.” This new production features baritone John Moore in a role debut as Pelléas, soprano Sydney Mancasola as Mélisande, and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel in a company debut as Golaud, with Derrick Inouye conducting and Chas Rader-Shieber directing.

Performance Date: July 6, 12, 17, 21, 2024

Making its full-length world premiere is Damien Geter and Lila Palmer’s “American Apollo.” Des Moines Metro Opera’s world premiere features baritone Justin Austin, tenor William Burden, and soprano Mary Dunleavy. David Neely leads the production alongside stage director Shaun Patrick Tubbs, who makes his company debut.

Performance Date: July 13, 18 & 19 2024