Glynn Ross (December 15, 1914 – July 21, 2005,

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

) was an American

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. Hist ...

. Ross was the first general director of the

Seattle Opera Seattle Opera is an opera company based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as its first general director until 1983. The company's season runs from August through late May, comprising five or six operas of ...

, serving that company from 1963 to 1983, and the second general director of the

Arizona Opera Arizona Opera is an opera company which operates in both Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. History Arizona Opera was established in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company, under founding general director James P. Sullivan, and presented its first productio ...

, from 1983 to 1998.

Background

He was born Glynn W. Aus to a Norwegian immigrant father and a mother of Swedish descent, in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. He attended the local schools and, upon graduation from high school, managed his family's farm for five years. After his father's death, and with the encouragement of his mother, Ross left

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

to pursue his dream of a career in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, attending the Leland Powers School of the Theatre, the alma mater of his high school drama teacher, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

from 1937 to 1939. After early involvement in theatre and opera, Ross was drafted into the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

and served for the duration of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After recovering from a wound received in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, he was sent back to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

by the Army, charged with operating a rest camp for soldiers on the Italian island of

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures approximately east to west ...

. He was one of the first patients ever to be administered

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

, still in its test phase. During this time and with the Army's encouragement, he staged operas in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

for the entertainment of U.S. troops there.

Career

In 1948 he was hired by the San Francisco Opera as stage director. During the 1950s, Ross staged operas for various companies in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, but in 1959 moved to Naples, where he became the first American to stage an opera for the

Teatro di San Carlo The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent t ...

. In 1964, Ross relocated to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, having been offered the directorship in late 1963 of the new opera company being formed there. During his tenure with the

, he gained notice for his attention-grabbing promotional efforts and earned the nickname "the

P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...

of opera". He used skywriting and bumper stickers, among other unusual advertising techniques. In addition, his slogans for his productions were often aimed at the emerging youth culture, such as the irreverent slogans, "La Boheme: Six old-time hippies in Paris" and "Romeo et Juliette: Two kids in trouble, real trouble, with their families." His slogan "Get Ahead with Salome" ruffled the feathers of more traditional operagoers. It was the policy in Seattle to stage all operas both in the original language and in English. In 1975, he oversaw Seattle Opera's production of the

Ring Cycle (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the ''Nibelung ...

, making Seattle the first American company, other than the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

, to attempt

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

's masterwork in its entirety during a single week. In Seattle, Ross was also noted for his ability to pare administrative expenses and keep the company on a sound financial footing. In 1970, Ross was a cofounder of

Opera America __NOTOC__ Opera America, styled OPERA America, is a New York-based service organization promoting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera in the United States. Almost all professional opera companies and some semi-professional companies i ...

, an industry trade association for

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

opera companies, with the goal of enabling companies to share resources, information, and expertise. In 1971, the Seattle Opera staged ''Tommy,'' the rock opera written by

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

, with

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

in a starring role. On his ability to attract top opera stars to Seattle, at that time not considered a major center for opera, he explained: "An artist wants four things: one, a chance to do something that requires the best of his abilities; two, the opportunity to grow by singing different roles; three, prestige; and four, a paycheck." Upon Ross's departure from the

, he was offered the top post at the struggling

in 1983, where he both expanded the company's offerings and restored it to financial health. He oversaw production of two Ring Cycles as summer festivals in

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...

in 1996 and 1998, bold undertakings for a middle-sized opera company. His 1996 cycle, in particular, gained favorable notice. Ross retired from Arizona Opera in 1998

Personal life

He met Angelamaria Solimene in

and married her on November 15, 1946. They had four children. He died from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

on July 21, 2005.

References

*''Glynn Ross, 90, Put Seattle On the Map for Opera Lovers'' (''New York Times'', July 26, 2005, p. C16 obituary) *''Glynn Ross, 90 — Director Debuted in L.A. in 1940, Founded Seattle Opera'' (''Los Angeles Times'', July 22, 2005, p. B13 obituary) *''Glynn Ross'' (''Opera News'', Oct. 2005, Vol. 70, No. 4, p. 84 obituary)

Other sources

* Winthrop Sargeant, ''The Ring's the Thing'' (''The New Yorker,'' June 26, 1978, pp. 35–50) * Bill Zakariasen, ''Stagecoach to Valhalla'' (''Opera News'', June 1996, Vol. 60, No. 17, p. 26)

External links

Washington HistoryLinkArizona Opera Orchestra Musicians Association
August 4, 1987 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Glynn 1914 births 2005 deaths Opera managers American people of Norwegian descent American people of Swedish descent