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