City of Seattle names street after Speight Jenkins

The City of Seattle recognized Speight, the beloved General Director of Seattle Opera from 1983 to 2014, by naming a street after him!

Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen sponsored this honorary street name designation, which was approved unanimously by the council in December. Rasmussen spoke on behalf of the City Council: “The City is grateful for Speight’s devotion to Seattle Opera and to advancing opera as a welcoming art form for all. This honorary street designation will help ensure his legacy is remembered for generations to come.”

Speight Jenkins with Seattle Opera Board President Maryanne Tagney and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen

“Speight Jenkins Way” is a one-way northbound stretch of Fourth Avenue North, running between Republican Street and Mercer Street. KCTS is on the east, and the Mercer Arena to the west. Street signs at both corners honor Jenkins, the visionary arts leader who helped Seattle Opera achieve international acclaim and played a guiding role in the creation of nearby McCaw Hall.

Speight Jenkins

A legend in the world of opera, Speight retired last summer after three decades of devotion to Seattle Opera, where he presented more than 1,200 individual performances of 92 opera productions. Since then he has taught a class on opera at Stanford University, been made a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the government of France, and won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Opera Awards in London. Seattle Opera audiences also caught a glimpse of him onstage at opening night of Ariadne auf Naxos, where he played the role of the wealthy host; the spotlight hit him as Zerbinetta came over to tease him during her big show-stopper aria!

Speight Jenkins unveils the sign at the corner of Republican St. and Speight Jenkins Way.

A cheering crowd of family, friends, opera-lovers, and former colleagues cheered the unveiling of the new signs.

Speight with Aidan Lang, his successor as General Director of Seattle Opera

Photos by Alan Alabastro

Speight's last opera: "The Tales of Hoffmann" Coming May 3-17

Scenes from Seattle Opera's 2005 production. Rozarii Lynch photo

We conclude our 50th Anniversary season, as well as the 31-year tenure of General Director Speight Jenkins with The Tales of Hoffmann (Les contes d’Hoffmann). An all-star cast sings Jacques Offenbach’s tuneful score, chronicling famous writer E.T.A. Hoffmann’s misadventures in love. The wild stories of Hoffmann’s failed romances come alive with fantastical elements: a beautiful robot, an evil optician, a stolen shadow, death by music, and a mysterious boy/girl muse. The Tales of Hoffmann was first produced jointly by Dallas, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Arizona operas in 2005. This timeless, stylish, and imaginative production returns to Seattle Opera on Saturday, May 3, and runs through Saturday, May 17.

“It is a thrill to bring back our production of The Tales of Hoffmann,” Speight says. “It was funny, moving, and magical in 2005, and I expect this revival to be even better.”

American tenor William Burden stars in the title role. In 2011, The Seattle Times applauded Burden for his “dashing and impassioned” performance as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, writing that he made his character’s passion and despair “compellingly real.” Seattle audiences have enjoyed Burden’s sensitive work in French operas including Orphée et Eurydice (Orphée), Les pêcheurs de perles (Nadir), and Iphigénie en Tauride (Pylade).

Celebrated mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, who has triumphed as The Muse/Nicklausse at The Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera, returns to Seattle as Hoffmann’s companion. Lindsey won Seattle Opera’s Artist of the Year award for her debut performance creating the title role in the 2010 world premiere of Amelia; The New York Times described her performance as “subtly charismatic,” “vocally warm,” and “lovely."

Rozarii Lynch photo

Two celebrated French artists return to McCaw Hall for the multiple leading roles in The Tales of Hoffmann. Norah Amsellem brings her riveting and dynamic presence to the stage in the roles of Hoffmann’s four beloveds. Reviewing her performance as Elvira in I puritani, The Seattle Times wrote: “Amsellem found her way forward, mustering a lovely voice of considerable agility with a lot of security and accuracy above the staff.… The mad scene would tax any soprano, but Amsellem dealt well with both the vocal and dramatic challenges.” Bass baritone Nicolas Cavallier, who critics praised following performances of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Massenet’s Don Quichotte, returns as Hoffmann’s shape-shifting nemeses. The Seattle Times praised Cavallier’s voice for its “glorious richness,” writing that his “cleanly focused baritone cast its spell.”

The alternate cast stars Russell Thomas (Foresto in 2012’s Attila) as Hoffmann and Alfred Walker (Orest in 2008’s Elektra) as Hoffmann’s enemies. Leah Partridge makes her Seattle Opera debut as the beloveds. All performances of The Tales of Hoffmann feature Lindsey as The Muse/Nicklausse, Keith Jameson as The Henchmen, Steven Cole as Spalanzani, Arthur Woodley as Crespel, and Tichina Vaughn as Antonia’s Mother.

Rozarii Lynch photo

Yves Abel is at the podium for this French masterpiece. When he conducted La fille du régiment last fall, The Seattle Times noted Abel’s ability to give his singers and responsive orchestra “plenty of lyrical scope and freedom, while never losing the forward momentum of the score.” Stage director Chris Alexander returns with this celebrated and much-traveled production, which earned him one of his three Artist of the Year awards from Seattle Opera.

Costumes by Marie-Therese Cramer bring this colorful and whimsical tale to life with sets by Robert Dahlstrom and lighting by Robert Wierzel.

For tickets and more information go to seattleopera.org/hoffmann.

The Tales of Hoffmann Production Sponsors: Seattle Opera Foundation, Nesholm Family Foundation, ArtsFund and Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture.
The final performance of The Tales of Hoffmann is sponsored by Robert and Loretta Comfort.

William Burden’s performances are sponsored by Steven and Judith Clifford.
Kate Lindsey’s performances are sponsored by Richard and Mary Beth Gemperle.
Norah Amsellem’s performances are sponsored by James and Sherry Raisbeck.
Leah Partridge’s performances are sponsored by Janice C. Condit.
Norman Archibald Charitable Foundation sponsors the costumes in this production.

2013/14 Season Sponsor: The late Gladys Rubinstein, in memory of Sam Rubinstein.

Rozarii Lynch photo

La Bohème:Speight's Corner - Meet The Bohemians

General Director Speight Jenkins introduces you to four of the singers who will portray Puccini’s bohemians in our traditional production of this popular favorite.



Learn more about La Bohème on the Seattle Opera Website

Fidelio Singalong. Discussion and Q&A with Speight Jenkins

On September 12, 2012, 50 community members joined the Seattle Opera chorus for our first-ever singalong: The final scene from Fidelio.

After the singalong General Director Speight Jenkins discussed the opera in more detail and answered questions from those who attended.
Listen to the full discussion below or download now from the Seattle Opera Podcast on iTunes



Learn more about Fidelio on the Seattle Opera Website.

Turandot Broadcast Night Q&A with Speight Jenkins

After every performance, General Director Speight Jenkins hosts a free Q&A session in the lecture hall at McCaw Hall. Listen to this live recording as Jenkins candidly answers the audience's questions after the Saturday, August 11, performance of Turandot. This Q&A session was also broadcast live on KING FM and can be found on their 24-hour Seattle Opera Channel.

Turandot - Speight’s Corner with Dr. David Brunelle

Sit in on a conversation between General Director Speight Jenkins and opera enthusiast Dr. David Brunelle about Puccini’s final masterpiece. Topics include correct pronunciation of the title, who is the real heroine of the piece, and what makes “Nessun Dorma” the most popular aria in the world today.



Learn more about Turandot on the Seattle Opera Website

Madama Butterfly Broadcast Night Q&A with Speight Jenkins

After every performance, General Director Speight Jenkins hosts a free Q&A session in the lecture hall at McCaw Hall. Listen to this live recording as Jenkins candidly answers the audience's questions after the Saturday, May 5, performance of Madama Butterfly. This Q&A session was also broadcast live on KING FM and can be found on their 24-hour Seattle Opera Channel.

Madama Butterfly: Speight's Corner with Patricia Racette

In our latest behind-the-scenes video, General Director Speight Jenkins sits down with soprano Patricia Racette to discuss her abiding love of Puccini and the universal appeal of the iconic title character. Includes footage of singers in rehearsal.



Learn more about Madama Butterfly on the Seattle Opera Website

Orpheus and Eurydice: Speight's Corner

General Director Speight Jenkins sat down with Orpheus star William Burden (fresh off the airplane) when he arrived in Seattle for rehearsals. The two discuss the success of this opera, what it takes to sing in French, and more.



Learn more about Orpheus and Eurydice on the Seattle Opera Website

A New Year Message from Speight Jenkins

A special new year message from General Director Speight Jenkins.



For current season and ticket information visit seattleopera.org/tickets

Speight's Letter from Budapest

Speight Jenkins checked in this weekend from Budapest, where he got to hear Rossini's charming La Cenerentola at the Hungarian State Opera. (Photo of him outside the theater, paying his respects to Ferenc Liszt--who turned 200 a couple of weeks ago--with György Sibelka, photo courtesy György Sibelka.) This trip to Hungary reminded Speight, not of Attila and his Huns (they don't have anything to do with modern Hungary, although their army is scheduled to invade our stage shortly!), but of an earlier trip to Hungary:

In 1960 with a friend I traveled to Poland, the Soviet Union, and Hungary. In Budapest, at a performance of Tristan und Isolde, sung in Hungarian, we sat next to one Dr. Arthur Sibelka and his wife. They introduced themselves to us and sought to speak with us in a private place after the opera where the secret police could not hear us talking. They asked us many questions about the state of the world. He had been an official in the government in Hungary before the Communist takeover in 1947 and afterwards was made to work in the fields in Eastern Hungary. After six years of hard labor he had come back to Budapest and had several years of peace, working in a small position in the Department of Agriculture prior to supporting the ill-fated Nagy government in the eight-day revolution in 1956. He was able to go back to his position after the Soviets crushed the revolution and worked there until he retired. He passed away in 1981.

Hungarian State Opera House (Photo: Wikimedia)

A year or so ago, I mentioned my connection to Dr. Sibelka--with whom I had had no further contact--to a Hungarian friend in Seattle who has many contacts here in Hungary. Before long I received an e-mail from György Sibelka, nephew of the man I met in 1960. Today in Budapest, Mr. Sibelka met me at the train along with his two daughters, Agnes and Zsohphia. The Sibelkas took me first for photos at the opera house, then on the first underground railway created in Central Europe (1898) to a beautiful restaurant by the Danube. The water actually looked blue today as there was not a cloud in the sky. We had traditional Hungarian food: goulash soup and a huge plate of stuffed cabbage with sour cream, slices of veal and a sausage.

Considered one of Europe's most beautiful cities, Budapest arose on the Danube from two riverbank fortresses, Buda and Pest (Photo: Wallpaperstravel.com)

György regaled me with stories of his uncle and of his family in general. His grandfather had four wives, so the Dr. Sibelka I met was a half-uncle of his. The grandfather apparently was very successful and lived a very cosmopolitan and exciting life. Dr. Sibelka, on the other hand, was more intellectual and worked very hard his whole life. György told me how much the six years in Eastern Hungary, working as a laborer, had cost this man of letters, who had traveled and worked for the short-lived postwar Hungarian government in Italy and in other countries in Western Europe.

His stories neatly fit into my recollection of the conversations of a half-century ago. When Dr. Sibelka asked me, “How is Florence?” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Well, my wife used to go to Italy often, and now we can’t. I just wondered if it is the same. Tell me how it looks.” It moved me greatly and does now. Here was this cultured European denied the right to travel because of a totalitarian government and forced to work as a field hand just because he had been a member of a democratic government.

When we finished that very large meal--I ate more today than I have in the previous two weeks in Europe--we walked about 100 yards to the Cukaraszda Confectionery, an extremely popular restaurant in Budapest that, like many places in Vienna, only serves desserts. We ate a marvelous concoction of cake soaked in rum, plus whipped cream and chocolate called Somlói galuska.

Somlói galuska (Photo: budapestcookingclass.com)

I heard more stories about their family. His eldest daughter, Agnes, spoke very good English and had worked in Canada for a business firm for which she later worked in Hungary. At the moment she is taking care of her two children, a boy and a girl, six and ten. His other daughter, Zsophia, is not married and also lives and works in Budapest. György speaks hesitant but very expressive English, and he worked at it all afternoon.

When it was over, they took me back to my hotel. It was a great experience, particularly because my wife’s mother was Hungarian, and on this day I became much closer to her background as well. Now it’s on to a very un-Hungarian opera, Rossini’s Cenerentola --we call her Cinderella, and the Hungarian name is "Hamupipőke".

Speight's Letter from Germany

We heard from Speight Jenkins today, who, following the tremendous honor shown him by the National Endowment for the Arts, headed on toward Europe, as he often does in November (in between mainstage productions), in search of great singers and operas to bring to Seattle. Photo of Speight (left), taken in Bremen near the statue of the famous Bremen Town Musicians, by Christopher Braun.

A three-week audition and performance trip to Germany would be very difficult were it not for the Eurail (railroad) Pass available to Americans. With the Eurail Pass one can change one’s schedule if necessary without any financial penalty as I did when the October snowstorm in New York delayed my arrival in Frankfurt by three hours. Due to the kindness of the Frankfurt Opera I secured a ticket to the premiere of a brilliant Siegfried on a few hours notice.

Lance Ryan as Siegfried and dancer Alan Barnes as the Forest Bird at Oper Frankfurt, Photo © Monika Rittershaus

This trip has been unusual in the number of really outstanding performance so far: a marvelous Rosenkavalier in Munich...

Publicity photo for Der Rosenkavalier at Bayerische Staatsoper

...with Martina Serafin as one of the greatest Marschallins of my life and wonderful conducting by Constantin Trinks, a German conductor not yet 30, and a fascinating, perceptive Dialogues of the Carmelites with Seattle Opera former Young Artist Maureen McKay as Blanche de la Force.

Maureen McKay as Blanche de la Force at Komische Oper Berlin; Photo by Monika Rittershaus

That performance caused me to change my mind about a very controversial, often pornographic Catalan director, Calixto Bieto. It was a revelatory conception of Poulenc’s great opera.

When I saw in the schedule that Die Meistersinger was being given in Nürnberg, I felt that I had to see it. It turned out to be a marvelous production by David Mouctar-Samorai, with a first-class Hans Sachs, Albert Pesendorfer. What made it so good was that it glorified German art in the way I think Wagner intended and managed completely to avoid any suggestion of Fascism (which often happens in this opera) or a connection to the Nazi period (frequently the case in German productions in the last twenty years). It also showed that with a lot of innovation Die Meistersinger worked marvelously in a contemporary, timeless, somewhat abstract setting.

Publicity photo for Die Meistersinger at Staatstheater Nürnberg

Just last night I attended a very strange production of Aida in Hamburg...

Publicity photo for Aida at Hamburgische Staatsoper

...made memorable by stunning conducting by Carlo Montanaro, who will lead our upcoming Attila. It was one of those rare performances when every tempo seemed thought out properly, and the playing of the orchestra captured the warmth and passion of Verdi.

Germany is beautiful in November with all the trees a rich gold. One oddity about them: I have seen no trees with red leaves such as we have in the United States. The weather for the past ten days has been breathtakingly sunny with temperatures in the high 40s and 50s, perfect for me and for traveling.

On the personal side I visited in Bremen with a former Seattle Opera intern, Christopher Braun, and had the opportunity to spend the day with him, his wife, his three-year-old son, Constantin, and two-month old baby, Curt. It was great to see Chris after a two-year period. He is the Marketing Director of the Bremen Opera, and he and his wife enjoy very much living in Bremen. It is, incidentally, the smallest principality in the Federal Republic. Bremen was always, like Hamburg, a “free” city, that is, a democratic one without a king. A city of around 550,000, it has its own Parliament with as much authority within its city limits as, say, the Parliament in Munich has for the whole state of Bavaria.

Auditions in four or five of the cities have turned up some interesting singers possible for Seattle Opera and the performances even more. I look forward to the operas over the next nine days from which I might find more candidates for Seattle Opera.

Attila: Speight's Corner

General Director Speight Jenkins waxes poetic about Attila, its beautiful music, and the stellar cast he hand-picked for this opera. Special guest Costume Designer Melanie Taylor Burgess joins Speight to discuss the new costumes being created for the production.



Learn more about Attila on the Seattle Opera Website

Speight Jenkins' Acceptance Speech at the NEA Opera Honors

Last week the National Endowment for the Arts chose Speight Jenkins, General Director of Seattle Opera since 1983, as one of the recipients of the 2011 NEA Opera Honors Awards. (Left, Speight with Nina Totenburg at the Awards.) The highest national award in opera, these honors come with a $25,000 monetary award.

Speight went to Washington, D.C. last week to participate in the awards ceremony, which was webcast live and is hosted now at http://www.nea.gov/honors/opera/2011-webcast.html (and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnVYAgRYJZ4&feature=relmfu). The part of the presentation focusing on Speight begins at 1:10:50.

The presentation features a beautiful 7-minute video produced by the NEA and Opera America, which is also posted at http://www.nea.gov/honors/opera/videoBios2011.html (and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTqzPf1IiDE). King County’s own Dow Constantine eloquently speaks about what it’s like to go to the opera in Seattle at 3:35 in this video.

Seattle and Washington are fortunate to have such a nationally beloved figure leading our opera company, and Speight is extremely grateful for this honor. Here is a transcription of his extempore acceptance speech, which you can hear and see at 1:21:37 in the longer video.

“Thank you very much for that reception, and I so much appreciate all the wonderful things that were said on this video, and that Stephen [Wadsworth] said in his introduction. I feel that it’s all too much, but I’m grateful, I’m very grateful.

I want to talk first tonight about the National Endowment. The National Endowment I think is very, very important to the United States. There have been times in the past when there have been difficult moments, and we have fought for it. And we must fight again, if we have to. Because the National Endowment is the people, speaking through their government, for the arts. They’re saying something very simple: Art Matters. This is what the National Endowment stands for and it’s very, very significant.

Tonight I’m not going to go through a whole series of operas that we’ve done, because that’s been said. I do want to say that when John [Conklin] was talking about the chairs, it was in Seattle where those chairs were on the walls. I remember those chairs, and I got asked a lot about those chairs, and I just said, “They’re chairs!” [Audience laughter] “That’s what John says, they’re chairs, they’re up there!” It was a Trovatore, I remember very distinctly. But I want to talk about why I think I am here tonight and why we have had success in Seattle.

First of all, I’ve had a board that has supported me absolutely, in every way, all the way through. However controversial, whatever difficulties, whatever we’ve done, my board has always stood behind me, I’ve never had the least problem there. I also have a staff that has worked very hard, we’ve worked together to bring the greatest possible opera to Seattle, to the Northwest. And many of the people on the staff have worked with me and for Seattle for twenty years.

I think that of course with singers, conductors, directors, my job, as I see it, is to welcome singers, conductors, and directors to Seattle, and to make them understand that the opera we do there, the performances we do there, are tremendously important--that they are significant, and that they can change opera, even if we are in a small corner of the United States. It’s very important, and they must feel how important it is, what we’re doing.

Our audience is also remarkable. Seattle is the smallest metropolitan area with such a big opera company. We only have 3 ½ million people in our metropolitan area, but we have a wonderful audience, and I’m grateful to them more than I can say. Stephen mentioned we have increased our number of performances over the years: they have come and they have supported us, and I’m very grateful for all of that.

And finally, I want to say that I’m very thankful to my family, to my wife Linda, to my two children, Speight and Linle, who have put up with my absolute fascination with opera all these years. Thank you."

Photos courtesy of the NEA

Speight's Corner Video: Carmen

General Director Speight Jenkins reveals how he assembled the Carmen cast and who he’s thrilled to see in their American debut. Plus, our leading Carmen (Anita Rachvelishvili) comes to Seattle after bringing down the La Scala house, and this video features an excerpt from her ravishing performance.



Learn more about Carmen on the Seattle Opera website.

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Porgy and Bess Broadcast Night Q&A with Speight Jenkins

After every performance, General Director Speight Jenkins hosts a free Q&A session in the lecture hall at McCaw Hall. Listen to this live recording as Jenkins candidly answers the audience's questions after the Saturday, August 6 performance of Porgy and Bess. This Q&A session was also broadcast live on KING FM and can be found on their 24-hour Seattle Opera Channel.

Porgy and Bess: Preview Trailer

Gershwin’s portrait of life and love on Catfish Row boasts some of the most beloved songs ever written, including “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin,’” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”



Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Behind the Scenes: Porgy Orchestra

Some of opera’s most memorable music is in Porgy and Bess, and the orchestra is responsible for making it come alive to us. Go backstage to an orchestra rehearsal and hear the songs you know and love, plus Maestro John DeMain walks us through some of the challenges of this work, why Gershwin is so difficult to perform, and why our orchestra is up to the task.




Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Behind The Scenes: Porgy Chorus

When writing the score for Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin himself mandated that every performance of this work include an all-black chorus. To honor the composer’s request, Seattle Opera held auditions to find our newest chorus members, all local Seattleites with great stories to tell. Watch the chorus in rehearsal and meet a few new choristers in backstage interviews.




Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Porgy and Bess: Speight's Corner

Porgy is here for the first time in over 15 years, and General Director Speight Jenkins reveals which cast members he wouldn’t do this opera without as well as explains the merits of Porgy as an opera versus a musical. Maestro John DeMain makes a special appearance to discuss a particular performance that made operatic history.




Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.