Seattle Opera is an
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 libre ...
company based in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. It was founded in 1963 by
Glynn Ross Glynn Ross (December 15, 1914 – July 21, 2005, Tucson, Arizona) was an American opera impresario. Ross was the first general director of the Seattle Opera, serving that company from 1963 to 1983, and the second general director of the Arizona Oper ...
, 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 eight to ten performances each, often featuring double casts in major roles to allow for successive evening presentations.
Since August 2003, Seattle Opera has performed at
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall (capacity: 2,967), which was built on the site of the old Seattle Opera House at
Seattle Center
Seattle Center is an arts, educational, tourism and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington, United States. Spanning an area of 74 acres (30 ha), it was originally built for the 1962 World's Fair. Its landmark feature is the tall Space Need ...
. The company's current general director is
Christina Scheppelmann, who assumed the role in August 2019. Seattle Opera does not have a full-time music director; in October 2007, it announced the appointment of
Asher Fisch as its principal guest conductor.
The Ross years
From the outset, Ross saw opera as something that had to be sold using similar techniques to those used to sell popular entertainment. "To sell opera…you have to get their attention with a little razzle-dazzle. You've got to be simpatico. You have to be able to communicate, and you have to deliver your message with the best possible product you can manage."
[Quoted in .] In 1970,
H. C. Schonberg of the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' contrasted Seattle Opera's approach to marketing to the then still staid marketing of New York's
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 ...
: "Out there, you see campaign buttons with the legend ''Opera Lives''. It is in Seattle where you can look at the sky and find an airplane skywriting the virtues of Seattle Opera. There are even auto
bumper stickers about opera." Further, Schonberg remarked favorably on the "air of freshness and experimentation that contrasts vividly with the dull, tried and true, tired professionalism in other opera houses one could mention."
Richard Wagner at Seattle Opera
For many years, the company was noted for its performances of the works of
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 o ...
, including the ''
Ring'' cycle. In 1975, it was the first American company to perform the cycle in its entirety over the space of a week since 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 ...
in 1939. The Seattle Opera's last ''Ring'' was in August 2013, and they have stated that they have no plans to produce the ''Ring'' in the future.
"Ring 1," 1975–1984
Beginning with a production of ''
Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...
'' one year, and following successively each year with ''
Siegfried
Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace".
The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...
'' and, finally, ''
Götterdämmerung
' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled (''The Ring of the Nibelung'', or ''The Ring Cycle'' or ''The Ring'' for short). It received its premiere at the on 17 August 1876, as p ...
'', Ross announced in 1975 that ''
Das Rheingold
''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the Nationa ...
'' would precede the others to make up the first consecutive Ring Cycle over six days in July. In spite of the modernization of the opera productions which Ross found at the
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...
, Seattle's were to be traditional productions and appeal to the lovers of the traditional.
Two back-to-back cycles of the ''Ring'', one each in German and English, were presented annually between 1975 and 1983.
Andrew Porter's English adaptation which was prepared for the
English National Opera
English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in Englis ...
and which was priced below the German language cycle, introduced many new listeners to Wagner. Originally directed by
George London with designer John Naccarato, later presentations were directed by Lincoln Clark between 1976 and 1983, and by the tenor,
Ragnar Ulfung in 1984. Henry Holt conducted all the cycles. The performances were well attended and received good press.
By 1982, the cycle was drawing opera lovers from all over the United States, as well as many other countries of the world, and Seattle appeared to be a serious rival to Bayreuth.
"Ring 2," 1985–1995
Speight Jenkins was appointed General Director in 1983, and immediately set about creating a new ''Ring'' production. ''Die Walküre'' appeared first, in 1985, followed by complete cycles in 1986, 1987, 1991, and 1995. (Jenkins determined that the company could achieve higher quality performances by presenting the ''Ring'' every four years.) The new production was directed by Francois Rochaix, with sets and costumes designed by Robert Israel, lighting designed by Joan Sullivan, and supertitles (the first ever created for the ''Ring'') by
Sonya Friedman. The production set the action in a world of nineteenth-century theatricality. Initially controversial, it sold out in 1995. Conductors included
Armin Jordan (''Die Walküre'' in 1985),
Manuel Rosenthal (1986), and
Hermann Michael (1987, 1991, and 1995).
"Ring 3," 2000–2013
Jenkins engaged a new creative team to conceive Seattle Opera's third ''Ring'' production, which was unveiled in 2000 (''Das Rheingold'' and ''Die Walküre'') and 2001 (full cycle) and returned in 2005, 2009, and 2013. Director
Stephen Wadsworth
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, ΣτÎφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
, Set Designer Thomas Lynch, Costume Designer
Martin Pakledinaz, Lighting Designer
Peter Kaczorowski created a production which became known as the "Green" ''Ring'', inspired in part by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Armin Jordan returned to conduct in 2000, Franz Vote in 2001, and
Robert Spano in 2005 and 2009. The 2013 production, conducted by
Asher Fisch, was released as a commercial recording on compact disc and on iTunes. The productions starred singers such as
Greer Grimsley,
Stephanie Blythe,
Ewa Podles
Ewa or EWA may refer to:
Places
; Ethiopia
* Ewa (woreda)
; Nauru
* Ewa District, Nauru
; United States
* Eastern Washington, the portion of the state of Washington east of the Cascade Range
* ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, a census-designated place ...
,
Jane Eaglen, Richard Paul Fink,
Margaret Jane Wray, and
Stephen Milling.
Speight Jenkins and Wagner
Upon taking leadership of Seattle Opera in 1983, Speight Jenkins stated a goal of producing all ten of the major Wagner works in Seattle. Beginning with ''
Tannhäuser'' in 1984 (the first Seattle Opera production with supertitles), Jenkins finally achieved his goal with the August 2003 production of ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem '' Parziv ...
'' that opened McCaw Hall.
Performers
Seattle Opera draws some of the world's best opera singers to its stage. Some of the notable performers who have appeared in productions include:
*
Harolyn Blackwell - a regular figure on the Seattle Opera stage during the 1990s and 2000s, her credits with the company include the title roles in
Donizetti's ''
Lucia di Lammermoor
''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...
'' and
Delibes's ''
Lakmé''.
*
Lawrence Brownlee - was a participant in Seattle Opera's Young Artist program. Since then, he has appeared with the company as Ernesto in
Donizetti's
Don Pasquale
''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Paves ...
, Arcadio in
Catan
''Catan'', previously known as ''The Settlers of Catan'' or simply ''Settlers'', is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos) as ''Die Siedler von Catan''. P ...
's
Florencia en el Amazonas
''Florencia en el Amazonas'' (English title: ''Florencia in the Amazon'') is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán. It contains elements of magical realism in the style of Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez and uses a libretto by Marcela Fuent ...
, Arturo in
Bellini
Bellini is an Italian name, Italian surname, formed as a patronymic or plural form of Bellino (surname), Bellino.
People
*Family of Italian painters:
**Jacopo Bellini (c. 1396–c. 1470), father of Gentile and Giovanni
**Gentile Bellini (c. 1429†...
's''
I puritani
' (''The Puritans'') is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set to a librett ...
'', Almaviva in
Rossini's ''
Il barbiere di Siviglia'', Tonio in
Donizetti's ''
La fille du régiment'', Don Ottavio in
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
's ''
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spani ...
'', and Count Ory in
Rossini's
Count Ory
''Le comte Ory'' (''Count Ory'') is a comic opera written by Gioachino Rossini in 1828. Some of the music originates from his opera '' Il viaggio a Reims'' written three years earlier for the coronation of Charles X. The French libretto was by E ...
.
*
Kevin Burdette - debuted with the company in 2006 as Mustafà in
Rossini's ''
L'italiana in Algeri''.
*
Richard Cassilly - made his debut with the company as Manrico in April 1967 opposite
Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell (February 13, 1920 – March 23, 2002) was an American soprano who had a nearly 60-year-long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. NPR noted, "She possessed ...
's Leonora and
Sherrill Milnes's Count DiLuna.
*
Diane Curry -From 1981-1986 Curry performed annually in Seattle Opera's Wagner's ''
The Ring Cycle'' under director
Speight Jenkins, portraying Fricka in ''
Das Rheingold
''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the Nationa ...
'' and ''
Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...
'' and Waltraute/Second Norn in ''
Götterdämmerung
' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled (''The Ring of the Nibelung'', or ''The Ring Cycle'' or ''The Ring'' for short). It received its premiere at the on 17 August 1876, as p ...
''.
*
Geraldine Decker- From 1974-1987 Decker performed annually in Seattle Opera's Wagner's ''
The Ring Cycle'' under director
Speight Jenkins, as Erda in both ''
Das Rheingold
''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the Nationa ...
'' and ''
Siegfried
Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace".
The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...
'', Schwertleite in ''
Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...
'', and the First Norn ''
Götterdämmerung
' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled (''The Ring of the Nibelung'', or ''The Ring Cycle'' or ''The Ring'' for short). It received its premiere at the on 17 August 1876, as p ...
''.
*
Jane Eaglen - made her American debut as well as her Seattle Opera debut in the company's 1994 production of
Bellini
Bellini is an Italian name, Italian surname, formed as a patronymic or plural form of Bellino (surname), Bellino.
People
*Family of Italian painters:
**Jacopo Bellini (c. 1396–c. 1470), father of Gentile and Giovanni
**Gentile Bellini (c. 1429†...
's ''
Norma Norma may refer to:
* Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Astronomy
* Norma (constellation)
*555 Norma, a minor asteroid
* Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy
Geography
*Norma, Laz ...
''. A previous unknown, she was cast personally by
Speight Jenkins to replace
Carol Vaness when the latter was unable to sing due to medical issues. She went on to sing Turandot, Isolde, Brünnhilde, Ariadne, Ortrud, Senta, and other roles with the company.
*
Joyce El-Khoury - sang all the 2016 performances of
Maria Stuarda due to a colleague's indisposition.
*
Renée Fleming - made her debut with the company singing the title role in the 1990 production of
Dvořák's ''
Rusalka
In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalky/rusalki; ; pl, rusałka}) is a typically feminine entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, with counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as the French Melus ...
''.
*
Nuccia Focile - has appeared in many productions, including the title role in the 2007 production of ''
Glucks ''
Iphigenia in Tauris'' and Susanna in 2016's ''
Le nozze di Figaro''. The company named her "Artist of the Year" for her 2013 performances of
La voix humaine
' (English: ''The Human Voice'') is a forty-minute, one-act opera for soprano and orchestra composed by Francis Poulenc in 1958. The work is based on the play of the same name by Jean Cocteau, who, along with French soprano Denise Duval, worked ...
.
*
Greer Grimsley - made his debut as Telramund in Lohengrin in 1994 (revived 2004), then returned for Escamillo (1995), Mephistopheles (1997), Kurwenal (1998 and 2010), Scarpia (2001, 2007, and 2015), Donner and Gunther (2001), Amfortas (2003), Jack Rance (2004), Wotan (2005, 2009, and 2013), the Flying Dutchman (2007 and 2016), and Don Pizarro (2012).
*
Andrea Gruber
Andrea Gruber (born 1966) is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Puccini, Verdi, and Wagner.
Early life and education
Andrea Gruber was born in 1966 in New York City, the daughter of two hist ...
- has sung numerous roles with the company including the title role in
Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's ''
Aida
''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...
''
*
Ben Heppner
Thomas Bernard Heppner (born January 14, 1956) is a Canadian tenor and broadcaster, now retired from singing, who specialized in opera and other classical works for voice.
Early life and career
Heppner, of Mennonite descent, was born in Mur ...
- performed his first ever Tristan in
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 ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compos ...
'' with Seattle Opera in 1998. Other roles in Seattle include Walther von Stolzing, Lohengrin, and Andrea Chenier.
*
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 numerous accolades, including four Golden Gl ...
- played the Acid Queen in Seattle Opera's production of
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 conside ...
's ''
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'', the first time it was ever performed in a theater format.
*
Brett Polegato - made his debut with the company as Henry Miles in the 2005 production of
Jake Heggie's ''
The End of the Affair''.
*
Alberto Remedios
Alberto Remedios (27 February 193511 June 2016) was a British operatic tenor, especially noted for his interpretations of Wagner's heldentenor roles.
Biography
Alberto Remedios was born in Liverpool and began his working life as a shipyard ...
- who appeared as Siegfried in ''
The Ring Cycle'' with the company in the 1970s.
*
Gidon Saks - has appeared in several Wagner productions with the company.
*
Beverly Sills - made her debut with the company in 1965 as Mimi in
Puccini
Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...
's ''
La Boheme''. It was the only time she ever sang that role on stage.
*
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.
She possessed ...
- portrayed Lakmé for the company in 1967, then returned as Donna Anna, the three heroines in
Les contes d'Hoffmann, and Sita in
Le roi de Lahore.
*
Carol Vaness - performed frequently with the company in the 1980s and 1990s.
Conductors and directors
George Fiore was Seattle Opera's choral director from 1983 through 2000.
Seattle Opera often invites guest directors and conductors to take part in its productions. Notable conductors and directors include:
*
Christopher Alden - made his debut with the company in 1990
List of productions on Christopher Alden's website
/ref> directing Mozart's ''Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spani ...
''.
* Asher Fisch - made his debut opening McCaw Hall with Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem '' Parziv ...
, and returned to conduct Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolf ...
, Der fliegende Holländer, Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compos ...
, Fidelio
''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, w ...
, and Der Ring des Nibelungen (released as a commercial CD recording). He won "Artist of the Year" for conducting both Der Rosenkavalier
(''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...
(2006) and Turandot
''Turandot'' (; see below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano in 1926, and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. ''Turandot'' best-known aria is " Nessun dorma", ...
(2012).
* Richard Pearlman - conducted the first professional theatrical production of 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 conside ...
's rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
''Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'' featuring 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 numerous accolades, including four Golden Gl ...
with the company in 1971.
* Bartlett Sher - made his opera directing debut with the company's production of Marvin David Levy's ''Mourning Becomes Electra
''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...
''.
* Robert Spano - conducted the 2005 and 2009 productions of ''The Ring Cycle''.
* Werner Torkanowsky - conducted the 1974 production of Boito's '' Mefistofele''.
*Stephen Wadsworth- Directed the Ring Cycle in 2005, 2009 and 2013. In 2007 he directed the first ever co production of Seattle Opera with the Metropolitan Opera, Iphigenie en Tauride.
* Tomer Zvulun- Started as an Assistant Director in the 2005–06 and 2006-07. He then returned as an associate director for the RING cycle in 2009 and directed new productions of Lucia di Lammermoor in 2010, La Boheme in 2013 and Semele in 2015.
New operas
Seattle Opera supports the creation of new operas and has commissioned several works throughout its history. New operas performed by the company include:
*Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Sessions Floyd (June 11, 1926September 30, 2021) was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American South, particularly the Post- ...
's ''Of Mice and Men
''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job ...
'' (1970)
* Thomas Pasatieri's '' Calvary'' (1971)
* Thomas Pasatieri's ''Black Widow
Black widow may refer to:
Spiders
* Black widow spider, a common name for some species of spiders in the genus ''Latrodectus''
American species
* ''Latrodectus apicalis'', the Galapagos black widow
* ''Latrodectus curacaviensis'', the South Amer ...
'' (1972)
*Daniel Catán
Daniel Catán Porteny (April 3, 1949 – April 9, 2011) was a Mexican composer, writer and professor known particularly for his operas and his contribution of the Spanish language to the international repertory.
With a compositional style ...
's ''Florencia en el Amazonas
''Florencia en el Amazonas'' (English title: ''Florencia in the Amazon'') is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán. It contains elements of magical realism in the style of Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez and uses a libretto by Marcela Fuent ...
'' (1998)
*Marvin David Levy
Marvin David Levy (August 2, 1932 – February 9, 2015) was an American composer, best known for his opera '' Mourning Becomes Electra''.
''Mourning Becomes Electra'' was given its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1967. Although deeme ...
's ''Mourning Becomes Electra
''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...
'' (2003, premiere of revised version)
*Daron Hagen
Daron Aric Hagen ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American composer, writer, and filmmaker.
Biography
Early life
Daron Hagen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in New Berlin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Hagen was the youngest of ...
's '' Amelia'' (2010)
* Sheila Silver's '' A Thousand Splendid Suns'' (2023)
See also
* Pacific MusicWorks
References
Notes
Sources
*
External links
Seattle Opera official website homepage
Official historical archive listing all performances and performers
August, 1987
August 4, 1987
March, 1980 & March 1990
{{authority control
Musical groups established in 1963
Non-profit organizations based in Seattle
American opera companies
Musical groups from Seattle
1962 establishments in Washington (state)
Performing arts in Washington (state)