Explore the 1978 Ring Program!
A cast substitution with unexpected results.
Speight’s story of saving his first-ever RING from disaster.
A minimalist new production directed by Peter Kazaras that was inspired in part from the Ambrose Bierce short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.”
Speight gets the swan just the way he likes it!
The first time the world ended at Seattle Opera!
The orchestra mourns the death of a fallen hero.
Listen to the voice of Seattle’s reigning king of the gods.
The first Wagner production at Seattle Opera!
Wagner’s mighty epic performed for–and by!–kids all over Washington State.
Hear the mezzo who was Seattle’s original Queen of the Gods.
Part one of our series previewing 2009 RING Cycle focused on the artists involved and their rehearsal process.
Explore the 1973/74 Siegfried Program!
By 1980, Seattle’s Ring was a well-known west coast cultural phenomenon.
Greer Grimsley’s first Wagner opera—complete with giant animatronic swan!
Hear the SIEGFRIED Riddle Scene–in English!
How the first go-around of “Ring 2” had some strengths and some weaknesses.
Hear Asher Fisch conduct the TRISTAN Prelude!
The last summer for Ring 1!
The most familiar music from Wagner’s RING!
Explore the 2005 Ring Program!
Perhaps the wildest animal ever to appear on our stage…
Explore the 1991 Ring Program!
Listen to a clip from Perry Lorenzo’s famous RING lectures!
Explore the 1988/89 Flying Dutchman Program!
Watch Video: Music with Maestro Asher Fisch
Explore the 1972/73 Die Walküre Program!
Explore the 2000/01 Das Rheingold, Die Walküre Program!
Watch Director’s Talk Video with Peter Kazaras
Explore the 1980 Ring Program!
A second Ring opera is added to Seattle’s repertory.
Explore the program for our Summer 1981 Wagner festival, featuring the Ring and Tristan and Isolde.
Explore the 2009 Ring Program!
From the 2009 Ring cycle performances
Wagner’s rollicking sea yarn came to Seattle with a famous cast.
Explore the 2003/04 Parsifal Program!
Watch a Video Excerpt
This preview of our third RING production featured the first two operas in the cycle, presented in full one year later.
A new Brünnhilde headlined our second complete cycle.
Pete Olds’ quick-thinking saves the day.
The making of the Ring
The final cycle produced by Glynn Ross.
Explore the 1983 Ring Program!
Explore the 1998/99 Tristan and Isolde Program!
Three-minute complilation of footage from the final dress rehearsal of 2009’s DAS RHEINGOLD.
Edward Sooter made a great addition to our Ring cast at its fifth consecutive summer.
A complete list of Wagner performances in Seattle.
Explore the 1989/90 Master-Singers of Nuremberg Program!
A 1982 article about Glynn Ross and Seattle’s Ring.
The first complete presentation of the imaginative Rochaix/Israel Ring 2.
Watch clips from our imaginative second production of Wagner’s Ring.
The unforgettable opera that opened McCaw Hall!
Duesing implores the Evening Star to bear his love to the lady of his heart.
Hear the bass who was with us from before the beginning.
The Making of the Ring
Hear Archie Drake sing Gunther–in English!
Explore the 2004/05 Lohengrin Program!
“Ride of the Valkyries” — sung in English!
Leonie Rysanek’s unforgettable Seattle appearance!
Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s founding General Director!
A serenade gone hilariously wrong!
The great Viennese soprano’s only Seattle appearance!
Simon Estes was a strong Hagen, and Ute Vinzing joined our Ring for the first time as Brünnhilde.
Hear the voice of Noel Tyl, one of our first Wotans.
Explore the 1980/81 Tristan and Isolde Program!
Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s first Music and Education Director!
Explore the 1994/95 Lohengrin Program!
One of our favorite baritones sings Alberich’s curse.
The final outing of Ring 2 was a great success, artistically—and financially!
Explore the 1985/86 Die Walküre Program!
Speight remembers consecrating McCaw Hall with Wagner’s most Wagnerian opera.
The once-controversial “Ring 2” finally earns complete acceptance.
Listen to excerpts from Seattle Opera’s English-language RINGS!
From 2009 Ring cycle performances.
Explore the 1977 Ring Program.
“Gloomy captain, go on land; seek a faithful woman’s hand! Another seven years rush by; another woman soon must die.”
Speight learns to listen to young people at final dress rehearsals.
Explore the 1982 Ring Program!
Explore the 2007/08 Flying Dutchman Program!
Explore the 1974/75 Ring Program!
The award-winning performance in the first opera in the renovated McCaw Hall.
Revival of the 1994 production directed by Stephen Wadsworth.
Explore the 2010/11 Tristan and Isolde Program!
Explore the 1979 Ring Program!
For Seattle Opera’s only production of this masterpiece, we projected titles above the stage for the first time.
Speight remembers his first great success with the RING.
Wagner News: “An opera experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Explore the 1971/72 Flying Dutchman Program!
The first Ring performed complete within a week in the U.S. in a generation.
Speight’s dreams come true with a match made in operatic heaven.
Hear two of the great Wagner voices of our time, at the peak of their powers.
Explore the 1987 Ring Program!
Speight remembers when the “Shiite Wagnerites” demanded his head.
Excerpt from The Journal of the Wagner Society of Northern California
Hear the voice of Seattle’s original Ur-Mutter.
Hear the bass-baritone who often sang Wotan in Seattle in the ’80s.
R. M. Campbell’s obituary recaps the remarkable career of Glynn Ross.
Johanna Meier and Alberto Remedios joined our cast this summer.
The first full performance of Seattle Opera’s beloved “Green” Ring.
A game of musical chairs ensued when several Ring singers switched parts.
It’s love at first sight (and hearing!) when Seattle Opera meets Richard Wagner.
Our first RING in McCaw Hall–and Greer Grimsley’s first Wotan.
Speight remembers how supertitles came to Seattle Opera.
Seattle Opera’s only production to date of Wagner’s sunny comedy.
Speight finds a new Siegfried–after the final dress rehearsal!
From the book, “Classical Music in America”
The moment when the difference between Speight Jenkins and Glynn Ross became apparent!
Hear the winners of our International Wagner Competitions!
Explore the 1995 Ring Program!
Speight: “A remarkably easy RING!”
Speight remembers how Nuremberg came to Seattle.
A new Siegfried added to the excitement of Seattle Opera’s most ambitious summer program yet.
Explore the 1986 Ring Program!
Explore the 1976 Ring Program!
Explore the 1984/85 Tannhäuser Program!
Our first production of Wagner’s great song of love and death.
Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s resident tenor in the ’70s!
From the 2009 Ring
Explore the 1984 Ring Program!
Listen to Asher Fisch conduct overwhelming music from the first show in McCaw Hall!
Speight finds a new Siegfried–with two days notice!
Hear Seattle’s first malevolent Lord of the Ring.
The “Green” Ring looked better than ever this summer.
Hear the great Canadian tenor sing one of his most gorgeous roles.
Explore the 2013 Ring Program!
Explore the 2001 Ring Program!
Speight remembers how the “Green” RING began its life.
Explore the 1974/75 Gotterdammerung Program!
RING 2 achieved widespread acceptance this summer, and the number of performances increased to three.
Glynn Ross begins introducing his favorite opera tetralogy to Seattle.
