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