Greater Des Moines to Welcome Des Moines Metro Opera Young Artists This Summer

For emerging opera singers looking for a training program to help develop their skills from the classroom to the stage, the 2026 Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program in Greater Des Moines (DSM) has become a sought-after opportunity for artists across the globe. The program offers performance opportunities and private musical coaching in standard and contemporary operatic scenes along with career training in acting, body movement, diction and languages, audition techniques, stage combat, vocal wellness and life in the business.

“DMMO is a place where singers of every background and stage of career are celebrated for what makes them unique,” says Mezzo-soprano Audrey Welsh, a 2024 and 2025 apprentice artist. “The mentorship is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The entire company makes you feel valued, seen and heard.”

About the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program

As one of the nation's oldest and most respected for emerging opera artists, the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program is led by talented staff, including:

Lisa Hasson, The Irene Graether Chorus Director and Director of the Apprentice Artist Program
Michael Egel, Linda Koehn General and Artistic Director
Allen Perriello, Director of Artistic Administration

Perriello says that while artists don’t fully move to the Des Moines/Indianola area, in the seven weeks they are in the region, they get involved and support the local community by visiting local businesses and exploring the outdoors. Following their experience in the program, many of these artists decide to return for a second year, and 2026 is no different. This year, 11 of the 40 artists are returning for a second summer.

“There may be an opportunity for expanded assignments, whether that be a specific role to perform or a larger understudy/cover role in a safe and supportive environment,” Perriello says of why many return.

According to Perriello, many return to the region because of the friendly, welcoming local community and how community members enjoy getting to know the company members. The walkability of Indianola is also highly valued by company members that fly in to the area and don’t have a car.

Members of the 2026 Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program

The 2026 cohort represents 19 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and artists from around the world, including Argentina, China, Georgia, Israel, Poland and Singapore. See the entire list below:

Sopranos

Caitlin Aloia, Doylestown, PA
Phoebe Chee, Singapore
Emily Finke, Los Altos, CA
Eliza Lucyna, Gdynia, Poland
Daniela Machado, Weston, FL
Milan McCray, Fort Worth, TX
Zoë Meier-Juhlin, St. Louis, MO
• Sarah Rosales, Cedar Rapids, IA
Margaret Macaira Shannon, Austin, TX
Adriana Stepien, Philadelphia, PA
Sara Stevens, Kennesaw, GA
Gabriela Stoloff-Báez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Mezzo-Sopranos

Emily Amesquita, Seattle, WA
Christine Boddicker, Hinsdale, IL
Morena Galán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Anya Newsome Hill, Geneva, IL
Lauryn Nelson, Chicago, IL
Yaffa Ovsishcher, Brooklyn, NY
Claire Strong, Mobile, AL

Countertenor

Ian Pathak, Washington, D.C.

Tenors

Timothy Anderson, Plano, TX
Ethan E. Burck, Aurora, IL
Douglas Culclasure, Greenville, SC
Jerek Fernández, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Edward Ferran, Kalamazoo, MI
Rick Hale, Sharon, PA
Cameron Howard, Irvington, KY
Colin Miller, Albuquerque, NM
Shijin Sun, Wuhan, China
Luka Tsevelidze, Tbilisi, Georgia

Baritones

Michael Breaux, Killeen, TX
David Drettwan, Elkhorn, WI
Harrison Hancock, Lexington, KY
Mario Manzo, Mesa, AZ
Titus Muzi III, Milwaukee, WI

Bass-Baritones

Robert Frazier, Star Lake, NY
Matan Abraham Gendelman, Haifa, Israel
Ben Strong, Indiana, PA
Hunter Warnick, Kuna, ID

Bass

Garrett Reider, Wilmington, NC

Upcoming Performances Featuring Apprentice Artists

For more than 50 years, DMMO’s Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program has helped bridge the gap between studying opera and performing it, with many apprentice artists finding opportunities to perform as part of the DMMO Festival season. This year, 16 of the apprentice artists will appear in DMMO’s four mainstage productions, as well as six free concerts showcasing the apprentice artists.

Mark your calendar for the annual Apprentice Spotlight Concert, set for Sunday, May 30, 2026 at 6:30 p.m., which marks the official opening of the festival season and features an aria performed by each artist. Following that performance, the apprentice artists can be seen in three scene programs on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 2 p.m., Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 2 p.m. as well as during the Stars of Tomorrow on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Des Moines Metro Opera Stars of Tomorrow

DMMO Stars of Tomorrow Concert

Find out more about the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program at desmoinesmetroopera.org/aboutAAP.

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