2026 OPERA Iowa Troupe Celebrates 40th Anniversary Tour
Since 1987 OPERA Iowa, Des Moines Metro Opera's music education program, has traveled across the state and beyond to bring professional opera performances and workshops to over one million students and adults. This February we are thrilled to celebrate OPERA Iowa's 40th anniversary.
The OPERA Iowa troupe is made up of professional musicians and technicians who present fully staged, theatrical productions for schools and community concert associations. The program provides aspiring opera performers and production technicians with real-world professional experience, while also offering an additional platform to showcase their talents and inspire the next generation through the power of music.
Meet the 2026 OPERA Iowa Troupe
Cole Bozung is a freelance theatre artist and a 2025 graduate of Central Michigan University. He strives to be a versatile and adaptable collaborator, bringing a broad skill set to support the artistic and operational needs of each company he works with. Cole is grateful to audiences and supporters whose engagement makes live theatre possible and is honored to contribute to their shared artistic experience.
Alissa Cox holds a BM in Piano Pedagogy from Wheaton College and an MM in Collaborative Piano from the University of North Texas. She works as an active pianist and vocal coach across the Dallas/Fort Worth area, partnering with choirs, orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists. As both an educator and performer, she thrives on the collaborative process, finding joy in watching a musical work come to life through teamwork and creativity. She is thrilled to be back for her second year with Des Moines Metro Opera's OPERA Iowa tour.
Cameron Driggers has worked professionally in theatre and opera since 2022, primarily as a carpenter and technician. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Theatre, and completed post-secondary training that emphasized performance, directing, and design. Cameron joins Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2026 OPERA Iowa tour following a summer as Assistant Head Scenic Carpenter for the 2025 Festival Season. He is thrilled to help bring music education and opera to communities across Iowa.
Praised for her “rich color palette” and “deft high range,” soprano Emily Finke is committed to storytelling with the utmost artistry and authenticity. Emily is thrilled to be joining OPERA Iowa and Des Moines Metro Opera this season. In 2025, Emily was a member of the Chautauqua Opera Company where she sang the role of Willie in the workshop of Lincoln in the Bardo and covered the role of Musetta in La bohème. She also appeared as the soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Previous operatic credits include Eurydice (Orphée aux enfers), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), and Lucy (Fellow Travelers). Equally passionate about recital and concert work, Emily has appeared with the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) Next concert series celebrating works by living composers. She has also performed as the soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Palm Beach Symphony and Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium with the Albany Symphony. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Emily is now based in the Hudson Valley, NY.
Spencer Greene is a Chicago-based tenor, praised by critics for his "flexible, expressive voice" and "adroit singing". He was the Minnesota district winner of the 2024 Laffont Competition, and the recipient of an encouragement award from the San Diego district in 2025. His recent engagements have included the Smith Young Artist program with Cedar Rapids Opera, Figaro in the San Francisco Opera Guild's outreach production of The Barber of Seville, and covering Alfredo in La Traviata with Festival Opera, where he will make his mainstage debut as Oronte in Alcina this June.
Anya Newsome Hill, mezzo-soprano, grew up in Southern Africa and discovered her love for opera at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. This past year, she performed in the debut of This Little Light of Mine with Kentucky Opera, Carmen with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and Porgy and Bess with Houston Grand Opera. She is inspired by stories that continue to resonate today and is driven to share their powerful messages through music.
Baritone William Raskin, praised for his “vocal agility and tenderness” (Cleveland Classical), communicates authenticity in every performance. William is fresh off a successful summer at The Glimmerglass Festival performing the role of Casanova in The House on Mango Street, and covering the roles of Mr. and Lee Randolph in Sunday in the Park with George. This fall, William stars in the world premiere of Glen Cortese’s 221B: A Sherlock Holmes Opera in the role of John Watson, presented by the University of Northern Colorado. Last season, he covered the Official in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sarasota Opera, sang Schaunard in La bohème with the Janesville Choral Union, and joined Ohio Light Opera as Giuseppe Palmieri in The Gondoliers and Armand Brissard in The Count of Luxembourg. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied under baritone Paul Rowe.
Matthew J. Schulz is a stage director and theatre artist dedicated to fostering inclusivity, community, and integrity in the arts. Schulz is known for cultivating a collaborative, energized rehearsal environment where artists feel seen, heard, and empowered to perform at their highest level. He earned a BA in Theatre and Vocal Performance from Buena Vista University, and an MM and DMA in Opera Directing from the University of Texas at Austin’s Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music. He trained at San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program and was a 2023 Directing Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. He has served on the directing staff at Austin Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, North Carolina Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Omaha, and Utah Opera, among others. Dr. Schulz is currently on the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa.