Support Local Afghan Women Artisans

Refugee and immigrant women have the highest unemployment rate in the country. Language barriers and cultural differences create challenges for women to discover how to apply their skills and create work opportunities. Seattle’s Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) partners with immigrant women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the U.S. through artisan skills training in zero-waste and small-batch manufacturing. We are humbled to be working with Refugee Artisan Initiative in conjunction with our upcoming world premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Seattle Opera appoints Shannon Rolbiecki Director of Development

Seattle Opera has selected Shannon Rolbiecki, a seasoned development professional and Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), as its new Director of Development. As a classically trained singer and opera performer, Rolbiecki brings a rich musical background to Seattle Opera. She begins in the role on December 12, 2022.

A CONVERSATION WITH YONGHOON LEE

Widely acclaimed as one of the best lyric tenors of our time, Yonghoon Lee has been praised worldwide by audiences and critics. From the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to Bayerishe Staatsoper to Opera Australia, he has captured the hearts of many with his portrayals of Calaf in Turandot, Luigi in Il tabarro (The Cloak) and Rodolfo in La bohème. In this interview he shares how he started singing, career doubts, and what inspired him to continue performing.

SAMSON & DELILAH: Why in concert?

Up next, Seattle Opera presents the beautiful, evocative music Saint-Saëns composed to tell the story of Samson et Dalila. But why present it as a concert, instead of an opera complete with scenery, costumes, hair and make-up, and special effects? Concert presentations are actually in keeping with Samson and Delilah’s performance history ever since the 1860s, when the work first started taking shape, for several reasons: