Highlights of the Speight Jenkins Era

1983

Appointed General Director of Seattle Opera.

1984

For his first new production at Seattle Opera, Jenkins presented Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe. The Seattle Times announced, “If this production is any indication, the Jenkins era promises to give Seattle Opera some banner years.” Also presents his first new Wagner production, Tannhäuser.

1986

Presented Seattle Opera’s second production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, the Israel/Rochaix/Sullivan production. Peter G Davis reported in New York Magazine: “The responsible impresario is Speight Jenkins. . .give him credit for making a brave dream come true.”

Speight atop one of the Valkyries’ horses from Ring 2, 1985.
Gary Smith, photo

1989

Produced Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and choreographed by Mark Morris. The London Financial Times proclaimed, “America’s main tribute [to Gluck in the bicentenary year of his death] was a thoughtful, moving, and beautiful presentation of Orphée by the Seattle Opera.” That summer, a new production of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg introduced Canadian tenor Ben Heppner to Seattle, singing his first Walther. The production also launched Seattle Opera’s series of broadcasts on KING FM, which continues today.

Seattle Opera's 1989 production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Seattle Opera, photo

1990

Produced Prokofiev’s War and Peace, heralded by the press as “the crown jewel of the 1990 Goodwill Games.” The production was the most complete version of the opera presented in America at that time. War and Peace featured artists from the Bolshoi and Kirov Theaters as well as American singers.

Seattle Opera's 1990 production of War and Peace.
Gary Smith, photo

1993

With glass artist Dale Chihuly designing the sets, presented a new production of Pélleas et Mélisande. Parts of these sets have been featured in the Smithsonian Institution and Seattle Art Museum retrospectives of Chihuly’s work.

1994

Speight brought Ben Heppner back to Seattle to sing the title role in Lohengrin in a production directed by Stephen Wadsworth and lauded as “visually striking, musically rewarding” (Opera News). And a provocative The Turn of the Screw production initiated Seattle Opera’s post-show Q&A tradition.

Speight speaking to audience members at a post-show Q&A.
Seattle Opera, photo

1995

Acknowledged by The Seattle Times as one of the “Top Achievers of 1995.” Produced fourth and final presentation of Rochaix/Israel/Sullivan Ring. Announced the team of Wadsworth, Lynch, Pakledinaz, and Kaczorowski for the 2001 Ring.

1996

Presented Giordano’s Andrea Chenier, featuring tenor Ben Heppner’s first performance in the title role.

1997

Presented new production of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, directed by Dieter Kaegi and conducted by Gerard Schwarz, with sets and costumes by Bruno Schwengl. This production featured the U.S. opera debut of Angelika Kirchschlager.

Seattle Opera's 1997 production of Der Rosenkavalier.
Seattle Opera, photo

1998

Presented a landmark new production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, directed by Francesca Zambello and designed by Alison Chitty, with Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen singing the roles for the first time in their careers. It was hailed by The New York Times as “a Tristan und Isolde for a new century.” Opera News praised “Jenkins’ knack for assembling productions that combine theatrical flair with emotional communication.” Presented a new opera, Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, in a co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Los Angeles Opera (also the first opera ever sung in Spanish at Seattle Opera).

Seattle Opera's 1998 production of Tristan und Isolde, with Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen.
Gary Smith, photo

Left to right: Jane Eaglen, Speight Jenkins, Francesca Zambello, and Ben Heppner.
Gary Smith, photo

1999

Presented a new production of Weber’s Der Freischütz. Also presented the rarely performed American opera Vanessa by Samuel Barber. Presented the company’s first concert at Benaroya Hall, which featured soprano Jane Eaglen with conductor Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony in an all-Wagner benefit for the 2001 Ring.

2000

Presented Das Rheingold and Die Walküre from the new Ring production, which earned such praise as “it shows every sign of being a winner” from The Wall Street Journal reviewer Heidi Waleson. The Seattle Times named Jenkins one of the 150 most influential people “who shaped the character and course of Seattle and King County history.”

Speight, center, climbing the Das Rheingold set, with Associate Director Stanley Garner, left.
Gary Smith, photo

2001

Presented the new Wadsworth/Lynch/Pakledinaz/Kaczorowslci Ring, conducted by Franz Vote, which won a 2001 EDDY (Entertainment Design award) for the Ring design team and Seattle Opera’s Technical Department, Scenic Studios, and Costume Shop. Mike Silverman of Associated Press called the 2001 production: “a Ring of extraordinary beauty and theatrical vibrancy.” Joseph Horowitz in the London Times Literary Supplement wrote that Jenkins’ “version of the great Nibelungen cycle reaffirms his company’s stature as North America’s preeminent Wagner house.”

Das Rheingold from Seattle Opera's 2001 "Green" Ring.
Gary Smith, photo

2002

Made transition to Seattle Opera’s temporary performance space, Mercer Arts Arena, and commissioned three new productions specifically designed for the space: Salome, Norma, and Fidelio. Brought back to Seattle Opera sopranos Christine Goerke (her first Norma) and Jane Eaglen (her first Fidelio), and introduced Ewa Podles to Seattle audiences in her company debut as Adalgisa.

2003

Celebrated his 20th anniversary as General Director of Seattle Opera and, in August 2003, produced the first opera in the new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, a new Rochaix/Israel production of Wagner’s Parsifal. In October, presented a revised version of Marvin David Levy’s Mourning Becomes Electra in a new production built by Seattle Opera and co-produced with New York City Opera.

Speight touring the site of the soon-to-be Marion Oliver McCaw Hall during its construction.
Seattle Opera, photo

Seattle Opera's opening production of Parsifal at the new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.
Rozarii Lynch, photo

2004

Began the calendar year with a new production of Bizet’s Carmen, which broke all previous Seattle Opera box office records with 13 sold-out performances. Concluded the 2003/04 season with a critically acclaimed new production of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and an enhanced production of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West featuring the return of Andrea Gruber to Seattle Opera as Minnie. Ended the year with the 2005 Ring sold out (tickets sold out in November).

2005

Received the Anton Seidl Award from the Wagner Society of New York in acknowledgment for his “new and stimulating productions of all the canonical Wagner music dramas” as well as his work on the Ring (Jenkins is the first company director to receive this award, previously given to James Levine, Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers, and James Morris). In August, opened a sold-out Ring, marking the 30th anniversary of Seattle Opera’s first presentation of the complete cycle.

2006

In August, Seattle Opera created the inaugural International Wagner Competition. Honored by ArtsFund with an “Outstanding Achievement in the Arts” award; Opera News listed Jenkins as one of the 25 “most powerful” names in American opera; and Jenkins was named one of the 55 most influential people in the Seattle music scene by Sound Magazine.

Speight welcoming opera-goers at a reception.
Seattle Opera, photo

2007

Seattle Opera co-produced its first production with the Metropolitan Opera, Iphigenia in Tauris. The production, with sets and costumes built in Seattle, premiered in Seattle before traveling to New York.

2008

Seattle Opera’s first production of Bellini’s I puritani fulfills a long-held dream of Speight Jenkins. At the second International Wagner Competition in August, eight finalists competed for two $15,000 prizes.

Speight, left, congratulating one of the 2008 International Wagner Competition winners, soprano Elza van den Heever, right.
Rozarii Lynch, photo 

2009

Speight Jenkins is one of five recipients of a 2009 Mayor’s Arts Award from Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Nickels also proclaims April 25, 2009, as Speight Jenkins Day in honor of Jenkins’ 25th anniversary as General Director of Seattle Opera. In August, Seattle Opera’s Ring delights Wagner fans from all over the world.

Speight discusses the 2009 Ring production at a symposium event.
Seattle Opera, photo

2010

Premiere of Amelia, the first opera commissioned by Seattle Opera during Speight Jenkins’ tenure as General Director. The creative team of composer Daron Aric Hagen, librettist Gardner McFall, and director Stephen Wadsworth was chosen by Speight Jenkins.

From left to right: librettist Gardner McFall, composer Daron Aric Hagen, and Speight Jenkins.
Ken Howard, photo

2011

In August, an entirely home-grown production of Porgy and Bess is a huge hit in Seattle. In October, Speight receives the NEA Opera Honors Award.

Nina Totenberg, left, interviews Speight Jenkins, right, at the NEA Opera Honors Awards.
Michael G. Stewart, photo

2012

Speight and other representatives from Seattle Opera spend a week in China, participating in the World Opera Forum at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. Back home, the summer production of Turandot, introducing the director/designer team of Barbe & Doucet to Seattle, is a smash success.

2013

Seattle Weekly on the 2013 Ring: “What’s certain is that this presentation of Wadsworth’s highly popular and acclaimed 2000 staging is the company’s strongest performance yet of the epic—more vivid, more gripping, more moving than ever.

2014

Speight retired from Seattle Opera, concluding his 31-year term as General Director. To mark the occasion, Seattle Mayor Edward Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine proclaimed August 9, 2014, Speight Jenkins Day. Seattle Opera held a Celebration Concert in his honor, featuring performances from Nuccia Focile, Greer Grimsley, Stephanie Blythe, Joyce Castle, and Alwyn Mellor, among many others.

Speight, center-right, at the 2014 50th Anniversary and Speight Jenkins Celebration Concert.
Rozarii Lynch, photo

2015

On June 8, the City of Seattle named the stretch of 4th Avenue North between Republican Street and Mercer Street, at the northeast corner of Seattle Center, “Speight Jenkins Way.”

Christina Scheppelmann, left, poses with Speight Jenkins, right, underneath the street sign for Speight Jenkins Way.
Seattle Opera, photo