As we continue to receive tributes from artists, friends, and former colleagues, we will update this post.
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| Speight Jenkins, left, and James Robinson, right, at a rehearsal for Seattle Opera's 2004 production of Carmen. Seattle Opera, photo |
James Robinson, Seattle Opera General & Artistic Director
"As we mourn the loss of Seattle Opera’s former General Director, we also celebrate the extraordinary impacts he made on the world of opera and the greater arts scene in the Pacific Northwest. Speight was a force, a true impresario who launched countless careers over the years. I had the opportunity to direct a production of Carmen for Speight in 2004 during the inaugural season in McCaw Hall, a theatre he was terribly proud of and one that remains among the finest in the world. Speight was exacting, demanding, and utterly committed to excellence. He remains an inspiration to so many of us who now lead opera companies in the US."
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| Left to right: Lawrence Brownlee, Speight Jenkins, and former Seattle Opera Board member Laura Lundgren at a reception for Seattle Opera's 2011 production of The Barber of Seville. Rozarii Lynch, photo |
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
"Some people enter our lives and, through the simple yet profound act of believing in us, alter the course of our journey forever. Their faith becomes a steady light for us, revealing possibilities we might never have seen on our own and giving us the courage to pursue them. Many people have encouraged me throughout my career, but few have believed in me as faithfully and intentionally as Speight Jenkins. His support was endless and came not only in moments of success, but also in moments of uncertainty. He saw possibilities in me that I sometimes could not see in myself, and gave me opportunity after opportunity to hone my craft and establish myself as a serious artist. This is a monumental loss for me. Whatever I have or will accomplish will be thanks to my dear friend, Speight Jenkins. Thank you infinitively, Speight. Rest in peace!"
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| Stephen Wadsworth, left, and Speight Jenkins, right, posing with the animatronic swan from Seattle Opera's 1994 production of Lohengrin. Seattle Opera, photo |
Stephen Wadsworth, stage director
"Speight anchored my career. I directed 17 times for Seattle Opera, including in his first and last seasons—11 new productions and a number of revivals. Seattle was my home theater for his 30 years there. He was a brilliant, hands-on producer unique in American opera. His encouragement and loyalty spurred the careers of many singers and directors, and his blue-chip friendship was and remains singular—intellectually stimulating, steeped in laughter, and constant. He is the only impresario in history who regularly received frenzied, lengthy applause simply stepping before the curtain to make a pre-show announcement. On the last night of our Ring cycle in 2013, shortly before he retired, I called him out onstage for the summer’s final solo bow, and every single person in the theater rose as one and screamed. I’ve heard every great singer of the last sixty-five years, but to this day I’ve never heard an ovation like that."
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| Left to right: Jane Eaglen, Speight Jenkins, Francesca Zambello, and Ben Heppner during Seattle Opera's 1998 production run of Tristan and Isolde. Gary Smith, photo |
Francesca Zambello, Washington National Opera Artistic Director
"Everyone has a few people who believe in them when they are young and getting going—Speight Jenkins was one of those very special people for me. When I met him in 1986 it was because he brought my production of Faust to Seattle; he immediately followed by giving me a new production of Werther, a special gift for a young director.
"He was a true impresario in the classical sense. In his role as General Director, he was hands-on, always in rehearsals, always watching and making suggestions in a constructive way, softened by his charming Southern accent. He always phrased everything as a question when he was giving a note. A good lesson I tried to learn from him!
"The thing that joined us together more than anything was the months we spent putting together our monumental production of War and Peace which was presented during the USSR-USA Goodwill Games in Seattle in the summer of 1990. We developed every aspect of the production together from the designs to the casting. The cast included more than 30 soloists, plus a huge chorus, supers and ballet. We decided to cast the opera with half Soviet artists and half Americans, something revolutionary at the time under the baton of the music director of the Bolshoi Opera.
"When the Soviets arrived in Seattle (with their KGB “assistants”), it was a startling coming together at first. None of us had ever worked with so many Soviet/Russian artists and for them it was an overwhelming introduction to America and a freedom unknown to them. Over the weeks we spent together, we formed some lifelong bonds, some that still endure. The most powerful moments came as we witnessed the daily changing of the government in the Soviet Union under Gorbachev. A seminal moment was the announcement of the renaming of Leningrad to St. Petersburg. Speight and I held some of the artists as they wept for they felt they were regaining their city and their homeland. The message of the destruction of Napoleon and the French troops in Prokofiev’s opera was a powerful metaphor resounding around us as the U.S.S.R. cracked apart.
"The audiences greeted us wildly with long ovations after this more than five-hour uncut epic. I know for Speight it was one of the things he felt with the most pride. We had many other collaborations over the years, but this one stayed deep in our hearts always.
I will miss our many exchanges—always signed as 'Love, SP8.'"
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| Left to right: Speight Jenkins, Laurel Nesholm, and John Nesholm. Seattle Opera, photo |
John F. Nesholm, Seattle Opera Board of Directors Chair Emeritus
"Seattle, Seattle Opera, and the opera world have lost a giant. Speight brought Seattle Opera into the first rank of opera companies nationally and internationally. His groundbreaking productions of Wagner’s Ring attracted audiences from every state and dozens of countries. Speight’s manifold contributions to opera were extensive, influential and brought many into McCaw Hall. In retirement he continued teaching and inspiring others through his deep knowledge of and infectious passion for our beloved artform. He will be sorely missed."
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| Left to right: Asher Fisch, Dan Wallace Miller (in background), Speight Jenkins, and Peter Kazaras at a 2010 rehearsal of Tristan and Isolde. Rozarii Lynch, photo |
Peter Kazaras, stage director & tenor
"Everyone has a special story, or many, about Speight Jenkins. Some of them share a common throughline—madcap rehearsals ending in riotous laughter or a simple look of appreciation, lavish compliments given with childish glee, stories about great singers of the past, memories of amazing performances he had seen from the Met on tour in Dallas and later on in New York, and we all will remember forever his inimitable way of talking. It is implanted in my eardrums and nervous system, for sure. Has anyone else’s way of speaking ever made you smile so readily?
"But the one thing that truly sets Speight apart for me, and has done so since we first met, is his enthusiastic readiness to take a risk. He trusted his ear and, more importantly, his gut. If he felt “it” from an artist, he would trust that vibration and would give you more than enough rope to hang yourself with many times over. Fortunately, most of the time these gambles paid off in an important way both for the artist and for Seattle Opera. So many of us truly owe our careers to Speight, but more importantly, we came to understand how to fully be our artist selves thanks in part to our relationship with him and his unique mentorship style. In my case, he always gave me permission to disagree with him, especially once I started directing. He would listen to my point of view, and he’d let me know he trusted me to do the job he had hired me to do. His faith in an artist was a serious business, and so many people in our world today are doing what they do because Speight believed in them at a crucial juncture. And once he went to bat for you, he was in your corner for life.
"I tried to tell him how loved he was by so many folks several times, but of course he would shrug it off. He was not in the least sentimental about himself. If he were talking about Leonie Rysanek or Birgit Nilsson, then of course he would wax poetic. But despite his occasionally skeptical assessment of his own work and life, he did inspire tremendous devotion and love in countless others. I so hope he understood and felt this over these many decades."
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| From left to right: librettist Gardner McFall, composer Daron Aric Hagen, and Speight Jenkins. Ken Howard, photo |
Gardner McFall, librettist
"How sorry I am to learn of Speight’s passing. Speight Jenkins was a man of sensitivity, generosity, and vision. He made a space for my words in his opera house and encouraged the publication of my libretto for Amelia, the opera he commissioned and produced in 2010. I was very lucky to get to work with this gentleman. I’ve never known anyone so deeply knowledgeable, supportive, and kind, a giant in his field who made room for a poet’s voice and the voice and talents of so many others."
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| Left to right: Patrick Carfizzi, Speight Jenkins, and Lawrence Brownlee at a 2011 reception for The Barber of Seville. Rozarii Lynch, photo |
Patrick Carfizzi, bass-baritone
"Few have touched our lives and inspired as many people in this world as Speight Jenkins. He was a dear friend, a visionary, and a truly magnificent leader in the arts.
"He generously opened doors of opportunity for so many artists, sharing his guidance, wisdom, and passion for opera. From our very first meeting in his office, to witnessing his guiding hand as he observed our rehearsals, to a Christmas Eve spent with family, I have so many beautiful memories. I will always carry his smile, his wit, and the wisdom he shared in his unmistakable voice—they are blessings I will treasure forever.
"I would not be where I am today without him."
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| Melanie Ross, left, with Speight Jenkins, right, in the McCaw Hall lobby. Seattle Opera, photo |
Melanie Ross, former Seattle Opera Director of Artistic Operations/Season Planning & daughter of founder Glynn Ross
"I first met Speight when he came into my office at Seattle Opera on the 4th floor of the Center House Building. While it would have been the most natural and understandable thing were he to let me go, with his southern manners, Texan accent, and direct delivery, he said: 'I was told I’d be a fool if I didn’t keep you at Seattle Opera.' I hesitated, then agreed and I am eternally grateful for his vote of faith in me. Years later he wrote 'I have always been grateful for your generosity at that moment.' Who knew.
"Trying to find the right word for describing Speight as General Director is not easy. Most articles list leadership qualities as vision, communication, integrity and other like traits, but not passion. Yet, it’s the passionate people that take the biggest risks, that step up to the plate and help make the larger leaps forward. It’s their commitment to the work and to the people with whom one collaborates.
"That was Speight, on so many levels. He loved the emotional power of opera and he was an unflagging believer in what we all could accomplish; the driving force behind our endeavors and the key to unlocking our true potential. All this with his immense enthusiasm.
The thirty years I had with Speight were some of the most amazing, thrilling and absolute fun times. Serious and hard work—oh yeah. Laughter and huge smiles—so many. Always inspired, never boring. I will always hold those years near and dear to me."
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| Speight Jenkins, left, with Linda Brovsky, right, at a staging rehearsal for Seattle Opera's 2013 production of Rigoletto. Seattle Opera, photo |
Linda Brovsky, stage director
"In our ephemeral music world, Speight Jenkins seemed eternal. He showed all of us what opera could be in terms of excellence, collaboration, graciousness and, indeed, family. His humor and curiosity never failed nor did his passion for artists and opera. Whether making his famous recipe for fudge for the entire company at Christmas, passing around black-eyed peas to the cast at New Year’s, or treating us to one of his feasts on Opening Night, Speight considered us all family and made sure others did as well.
"I owe much of my career to this extraordinary man, even though I almost blew our collaboration. As a young director, I got a late-night phone call and the voice said, 'Hello, Linda, this is Speight Jenkins.' Thinking it was a friend's prank, I responded, 'Yea, right' and hung up. Fortunately, Speight called back saying, 'Linda, this really IS Speight Jenkins. I want to offer you a job. Don't hang up.' Through the years, he offered me 11 wonderful productions at the Seattle Opera, giving me the amazing artists, staff and support to do my best work. He sat by my side through countless rehearsals, offering insights and humor—often with his dog, Jasper, nestled between us.
"Speight was the first one I called when coming up with a concept for a new production. He had encyclopedic knowledge of our art form and yet had boundless enthusiasm when presented with a new vision. He willingly became my safety net as he dared me to fly higher with my dreams. Speight's friendship and love were steadfast and continued long after he retired. He was my artistic godfather, my mentor, and most of all, my cherished friend whom I will greatly miss."
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| Speight Jenkins, left, with Kelly Tweeddale, right, in the McCaw Hall lobby. Seattle Opera, photo |
Kelly Tweeddale, former Seattle Opera Executive Director
"I had the rare opportunity to work side by side with Speight for the last half of his Seattle Opera tenure (2000–2014). Many will talk about his contribution to the opera field, his contribution to the cultural legacy of Seattle, and his uncanny ability to identify talent and potential in its most nascent form. Where did that come from? Perhaps it was innate and further ignited by the courage and instinct of the Seattle Opera Board when they hired him as the company’s second General Director. He was offered the job even though he had never managed an opera company, served in a position of 'authority' or produced a live performance. Yet, he had something that no other curriculum vitae offered: an encyclopedic knowledge of opera’s history and the intuition that curating possibility would always outperform predictability.
"During our tenure together, Speight was a mentor, a teacher, a sounding board, and a trusted colleague. We had one thing in common: we believed in the power of people. Artists, audiences, and the Seattle Opera workforce didn’t disappoint, always electing substance over mediocrity. During his leadership, Seattle Opera built the highest per capita opera attendance in the country. Countless singers, directors, musicians, craftspeople and designers credit Speight and Seattle Opera for shaping them not only as artists but as humans.
"It is that human side of Speight Jenkins I had the fortune to witness, learn from and support. He was both student and observer of the human condition, a story that opera tells in epic form. Working with him was a force of nature, punctuated with infectious enthusiasm. He taught me to curate curiosity and commitment with an unwavering loyalty to the artistic process. Speight led with honesty and trust and had no tolerance for duplicity or deceit. Looking back, Speight assembled a team that knew how to turn up the volume on possibility and filter out doubt. We were a team of dreamers and doers. It was that type of focus that produced the 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013 legendary Ring cycles. It was Seattle Opera’s collaborative nature that joined Seattle Center and Pacific Northwest Ballet to renovate the Opera House into today’s McCaw Hall. And it was the power of imagination that laid the foundation for the current adjacent Seattle Opera facilities.
"Perhaps nothing defines what was unique about Speight more than his attention to voice. It was not recognizing the 'operatic voice' that most credit him for; well-earned but in my opinion only one facet of understanding what he valued most. He was drawn to the individual and unique voice in all its forms. Speight demonstrated his own voice as an unrivaled writer and critic. He gave you a deeply reasoned and historic point of view, direct and distinguishable, often inviting debate. He crafted language to connect to the everyday reader, writing in a style that didn’t cater to an algorithm, rely on AI or exist to attract a social media 'follower.' It was a voice with distinct resonance and magnetism. He was a natural orator with a whirlwind wit that could cut through tension and introduce opera as if it was your new best friend. For many, he was opera’s most unapologetic evangelist. For me, Speight demonstrated that producing opera is as much about life as it is about faith. You have to believe that the curtain will rise, the high notes will soar, and the human condition is worth singing about. And when you truly believe, the naysayers are nothing more than noise. With deep expansive belief, you learn to listen. And when you listen, it’s then that you reach beyond the notes and truly hear the music."
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| Left to right: Evans Mirageas, audio engineer Rick Fisher, Speight Jenkins, and audio engineer Matthew Sutton at the launch of the 2013 Ring recording. Evans Mirageas, photo |
Evans Mirageas, Cincinnati Opera Artistic Director
"My introduction to The Speight Jenkins Dynamo Power Station was in the summer of 1986. I was producing a national radio broadcast series at WFMT Chicago which sent me to Seattle to create a program about the new Robert Israel/Francois Rochaix Ring. I had entrée to Speight through our mutual friend, the Seattle-based designer Robert Dahlstrom. Bob prepared me for the energy, incisive intellect, rapid speech and wicked humor of the man. I was by then, no stranger to opera producers. At home I was a keen observer of the formidable Ardis Krainik at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. My radio series had already given me the opportunity to interview the Sphinx-like John Crosby of Santa Fe Opera and the ebullient Terry McEwen at San Francisco Opera.
"But meeting Speight changed my idea of what an impresario could be. In the week I spent collecting interviews and attending rehearsals, Speight was everywhere—offering counsel, encouragement, keen-eyed advice and most of all, a presence at every rehearsal. His vast knowledge of not just Wagner, but the entire repertoire and generations of singers was awe-inspiring.
"He wore it lightly, never with an ounce of pretension. And while I am certain he probably drove his staff crazy at times, Speight’s standards of excellence, his love for the art form and ALL its practitioners was never in doubt. For the next twenty years we saw one another often, either in New York (where we both once were on the Met Opera Quiz—that was intimidating) and of course in Seattle. I’ve lost count of the number of times I saw Seattle Opera productions, but the 1998 Tristan stands out.
"In 2005 I was asked to take on the role of Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. My first call after getting the offer was to Speight. 'Help!' I cried! 'I’ve never run an opera company. Don’t I remember you had a similar rocket-trajectory of learning when you went from being a music critic to running Seattle Opera?' Or words to that effect. He chuckled and said: 'Come to Seattle as soon as you can. We’ll spend a couple of days, and I will tell you every rookie mistake I made in those first years. You’ll make plenty of your own mistakes, but at least you won’t repeat mine.'
"And so, I did. For these past 21 years, whenever I had a dilemma or a challenge, I’d call Speight. He was never too busy to offer advice, counsel, encouragement—there you go, those words again. He has been my model, a lodestar on how to treat artists and how to engage with patrons and donors. Who can forget coming into the renovated McCaw Hall and seeing ‘The Boss’ at the top of the stairs greeting every patron. I host all our pre-performance talks and post-performance talk backs—another Speight innovation.
"He entrusted me to be part of the team that created the live audio recording in 2013 of his last Ring—the incredibly beautiful production directed by Stephen Wadsworth with set designs by Thomas Lynch, costumes by Martin Pakledinaz and lighting by Peter Kaczorowski. I will treasure that privilege forever.
"Goodbye mentor and friend. You touched thousands of lives on both sides of the footlights, gave support to generations of performers and producers of this crazy art form and did it all with a selflessness and fierce dedication to excellence that all of us who came into your orbit will never forget."
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