In Remembrance

With heavy hearts, Des Moines Metro Opera shares the loss of our beloved Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Robert L. Larsen. He passed away peacefully in Indianola on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and former students at this time of immense sorrow.

Visionary conductor and stage director Robert Larsen was born in Walnut, Iowa, in 1934. Against the backdrop of that rural Iowa community, he developed an unlikely interest in opera. Early in his career, he declined an offer from the Metropolitan Opera in order to remain in his home state to share his love for music and theatre with his fellow Iowans. Dr. Larsen believed that quality performances of great music should not exist exclusively in America’s largest cities, but could belong to everyone. With that in mind, in March of 1973 and with little time to spare, he selected opera titles, hired singers, formed a board of directors and raised $22,000 to launch Des Moines Metro Opera just a few months later on June 22, 1973. That first season, professional singers worked alongside his students to create something out of nothing via sheer determination and loyalty to their beloved leader.  Larsen served as Conductor and Stage Director for every one of the nearly 120 productions for the Company’s first 38 seasons – an unparalleled accomplishment in American music. He worked and collaborated with more than a thousand singers, orchestra musicians, designers, technicians, and he motivated colleagues to reach the peak of their own capabilities. Today as the company he founded approaches its 50th Anniversary Season, he remained immensely proud of its next generation and the Company's continued success following his retirement in 2009.

His love of Iowa and great music was boundless. Nothing delighted him more than great singing and marvelous young voices. His passion for music-making inspired all those who had the opportunity to work alongside him including artists, colleagues, students and members of the community. He instilled in them the same awe and wonder that surrounded his earliest memories of music and the joys of his life. The strength of his vision to bring quality opera performances to Iowa brought thousands of people to this magnificent art form, forever changing the lives of so many. He will live on in our hearts forever.

Read Dr. Larsen's Obituary

Memorial Services
Visitations will be held on Friday, March 26, from 3-8pm at the Overton Funeral Home in Indianola and on Saturday, March 27, from 9:00-10:30am at the First Presbyterian Church in Walnut, IA. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no public graveside service is planned. When it is safe to do so, Des Moines Metro Opera will host a Memorial Concert to celebrate this extraordinary life. Further details will be available at a later date.

Memorial
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Robert L. Larsen Scenic Fund at the Des Moines Metro Opera Foundation, which provides annual funding to support the design and construction of new scenery and original productions each season.

Make a Memorial Contribution
Dr Larsen helped shape not just my musical persona but made me feel the confidence to be the person I am today and the confidence to chase my dreams. It was my honor to be his student and to call him a mentor and friend. May the choirs of heaven produce even more glorious music with his input. Rest in peace
– Kevin K Kielmann
I started to write down some thoughts to adequately express the impact that Dr. Robert L. Larsen had on my life and quickly realized that the integration of our lives was too intricate to fully express here. He has been a part of my entire life, first through his mentoring and collaborative relationship with my mother (Carol Stuart). Then through my years as an undergraduate at Simpson College (1972 - 1976). Later as a encouraging supporter of my early operatic career coaching me for the Goldovsky tour of "La Boheme" which I performed across the US in 1982, as well...
– Kirk Stuart
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When I was a supernumerary or extra in Die Fledermaus before the performance he would have everyone would come out and sing The Star Spangled Banner if the show was on July 4th. He was a very friendly and kind man. He was always interested in what you did for a living and how you became involved with the opera. He was a great talent directing the opera and playing the piano.
– Paul Brewbaker
This man saved me from what I considered to be a bleak future. As a HS senior, I had no money-only good grades and many music awards to my name. I also have to credit my HS vocal teacher for training me to perform & record a full length memorized classical recital as a Jr. in HS. Once Robert heard this recording, (which I still have) he secured every academic and music scholarship he could find so that I even had enough left over to buy my books the first couple of years. If memory serves, he also funded my...
– Rose Bollin-Loth
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