In the 1960s, industrialist and philanthropist Bill Fisher conceived of the “Fisher Club” (better known as the Gramma Fisher Foundation) to finance a small group of regional opera companies that would share productions.  [Glynn] Ross’ old pal Walter Herbert from Houston Grand Opera and Ross were invited to join.  They met in a room in the Chicago airport.  Herbert was then in the process of going to San Diego Opera, so he suggested that Seattle take the next Fisher grant.  As Ross described it:

“Walter leaned back in his chair and suggested that “someone” should take on the Ring!  I was almost speechless!  Finally, I mumbled that it might not be a bad idea.  Without any discussion, it was decided and as I was next in line, Seattle would do the proposal.  I had no idea if my board would get a majority vote in favor of it, but as it was to be all paid for by Bill Fisher [industrialist and philanthropist], I could hope.

I left the meeting with my mind and heart in a dead heat.  How?  Who?  When?  We were blissfully talking about four successive new productions (one each year) culminating in an entire RING presentation, but would it sell at the box office for five consecutive years?  But then, I thought back to staging the works one-by-one at the Conservatory with a small stage and the extremely grateful audience.  “After all,” I rationalized, “it is just four operas.”

- Trish Benedict
in The Journal of the Wagner Society of Northern California