We are excited to announce the appointment of James Robinson as Seattle Opera’s next General and Artistic Director. Robinson begins his tenure on September 4, 2024, replacing Christina Scheppelmann, who previously announced her new appointment as General and Artistic Director of Brussels’ La Monnaie/De Munt. Robinson comes to Seattle from Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL), where he has served as Artistic Director since 2008. During his tenure, he transformed OTSL into one of the country’s most forward-looking opera festivals, commissioning 11 world premieres including Huang Ruo’s “An American Soldier,” and Terence Blanchard’s “Champion” and “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” Robinson also has an extensive experience as a stage director, directing over 75 new productions and over 30 world premieres at the world’s top theaters. “I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the tremendous staff and board at Seattle Opera. Seattle is an opera town. It has opera in its DNA, and I am honored to be able to build on that rich tradition. I can’t wait to get to work creating art with and for the passionate audiences that have made Seattle Opera into the company it is today,” says Robinson. General Director Christina Scheppelmann is also excited to be welcoming Robinson to Seattle. “I am very happy that James will be taking the reins of this wonderful company. James has an impressive track record as a stage director and his extensive network will present tremendous opportunities for collaboration. I am sure he will accomplish great things at Seattle Opera, together with this amazing staff and supportive board. Seattle Opera is in good hands.” Please join us in welcoming James Robinson to Seattle Opera. Photo: David Jaewon Oh
About us
Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera is a leading American opera company. The company presents the classics of the European repertoire as well as new works of American opera. Seattle Opera performs five operas per year. Seattle Opera strives to produce musically extraordinary, theatrically compelling operas, employing uniformly high quality casts, dramatically aware conductors, and innovative yet textually concerned directors and designers. By continuing our emphasis on the work of Richard Wagner and by achieving national and international recognition for the quality of all our programming, Seattle Opera commits itself to advancing the cultural life of the Pacific Northwest through education and performance.
- Website
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http://www.seattleopera.org
External link for Seattle Opera
- Industry
- Performing Arts
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Seattle, WA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1963
Locations
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Primary
1020 John Street
Seattle, WA 98109, US
Employees at Seattle Opera
Updates
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Seattle Opera is #hiring! We've just posted for a full time Systems Engineer Role. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/guWq9_ZB
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Celebrations last night for all of the Puget Sound's incredible business folks under 40 making an impact on our region including our own Dennis Robinson Jr.! Thank you Dennis for all you do for Seattle Opera and our arts community! https://lnkd.in/geJHtgwW
40 Under 40: Dennis Robinson Jr., Seattle Opera - Puget Sound Business Journal
bizjournals.com
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We're very excited to announce that Kenneth Kellogg has been appointed our inaugural Artistic Ambassador! Kenneth will take over for Dr. Naomi André, who concludes her impactful five-year term as our Scholar in Residence at the end of this season. As Artistic Ambassador, Kenneth will serve as a representative of Seattle Opera in the community, engaging with audiences through our various events, as well as advising staff and board on season planning, racial equity initiatives, and community partnerships. Kenneth made his Seattle Opera debut in 2021 as the Commendatore in the filmed version of Don Giovanni, and later returned as The Father in Tazewell Thompson and Jeanine Tesori's contemporary opera Blue, a role that he describes as "a game-changer" for his life and career. In 2023 he took the stage as Fafner in this season's Das Rheingold, and most recently gave a triumphant performance as Malcolm X in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. Beyond his roles on stage, his passion for music and community shines through in his work. "Opera has the power to be a truly community-based art form," he says. "A place where people can see themselves represented in a larger-than-life space, feel comfortable, and feel welcomed. Making opera matter on that level, with every production we mount, will connect us to the humanity of our community." Please join us in congratulating Kenneth and welcoming him to this new role! https://lnkd.in/gA5W6q89
Q&A with Kenneth Kellogg, Seattle Opera’s new Artistic Ambassador
seattleoperablog.com
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We're proud to share that Director of Programs and Partnerships, Dennis Robinson Jr., has been recognized as one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "40 Under 40" honorees for 2024! This program recognizes work from across sectors including health care, real estate, tech, and the arts. A full story of Dennis’ accomplishments will be published later this spring. Congrats, Dennis!
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Last week we welcomed Ashley Costa, cosmetologist and area manager for Disney Cruise Lines, to the Opera Center for a hair and makeup workshop titled “Diversity in Beauty.” The workshop was open to all, and included training on makeup techniques for medium to dark skin tones, tools and products for naturally curly hair, locs, twists, cornrows, and microbraids, and wig preparation techniques for various textured and protective hair styles. Participants learned how to prep textured and protective hairstyles for wig application, which helps singers and performers maintain their personal hairstyle while getting into a stylized look for the stage. This workshop is part of our ongoing efforts to make our industry more inclusive and supportive for all, by making sure staff are trained to style and care for all skin tones and hairstyles.
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Seattle magazine has named General Director Christina Scheppelmann one of Seattle's top 25 Most Influential People for 2023! 🎉 This honor is given to community leaders who have made significant changes in their industry, and who have worked to make our constantly growing region more equitable and accessible. Congrats, Christina! https://lnkd.in/gfYANpSN Photo: Phillip Newton
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Thank you Omari Salisbury and Converge Media LLC for covering this event and partnership with Seattle Opera!
Yesterday, the Seattle Opera hosted a Black Artists Market pop-up inside of their Tagney Jones Hall, where nearly 30 Black-owned businesses filled the hallways and performance hall with all kinds of goods ranging from gourmet donuts from Zuri’s Gourmet Donutz to apparel and candles from Blessed and Thankful to Soul Chains from Rainbow Manier, Haitian coffee from Konbit Cafe and everything else in between. This was definitely the perfect event to get those last-minute stocking stuffers, all the while supporting local small Black businesses in a really cool venue. The event also included a live performance from Seattle’s soulful songbird Shaina Shepherd, as well as opera singer Ibidunni Ojikutu, jazz singer Jacqueline Tabor, Cellist Gretchen Yanover, and choreographer Jimmy Shields. The Seattle Opera, which partnered with Wa Na Wari, Arte Noir, and The Intentionalist, was very thoughtful in planning the date of this pop-up to ensure the Seattle Center campus was in full swing and had tons of foot traffic with there being two performances of The Nutcracker at McCaw Hall, as well as Little Women and A Very Electric Christmas, playing on the Seattle Center campus and a Seattle Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena plus the Seattle Christmas Market. A lot was going on, with the end result being over 1000 people through the door. For the Seattle Opera, the Black Artists Market is a win-win in that it drives awareness and new customers to local Black businesses, and it also sends a signal to Seattle’s Black community that they are welcome at the Seattle Opera in all capacities. With the opera X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X set to premiere at the Seattle Opera in February, the Black Artist Market is also a significant step in building awareness around what will be the very first opera written by a Black composer ever to be performed at Seattle Opera. Businesses that participated in the Seattle Opera Black Artist Market are listed below. Photos by Seattle photographer Jordan Somers on behalf of Converge Media. #BlackMediaMatters #SupportBlackBusiness #WWConverge #SeattleOpera #BlackArtistMarket #BlackSeattle #BlackInSeattle
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Calling all Seattle Hair and Makeup professionals! On January 9th and 10th we will be hosting a training session covering: -color theory -Makeup techniques for multiple skin tones ranging from medium to dark -Hair tools and products for naturally curly texture hair, locs, twists, cornrows, and microbraids -Basic hair styling and wig prep for various textures and styles We are thrilled to be bringing Ashley Costa, a licensed cosmologist for 20+ years, to Seattle to lead these sessions. She has worked at Walt Disney World for 17 years in Cosmetology, and has done freelance wig work for SeaWorld Orlando, Blue Man Group, and local Orlando theatres for the last 18 years. We have space for up to 20 observers. Interested? Sign up and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/di9TjQ39
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Seattle Opera is hiring! We are currently recruiting for: -Production Stage Manager -Audience Services Representative -Assistant Production Manager -General Director Full details at www.seattleopera.org/jobs Data shows that women and BIPOC candidates more frequently do not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed. Our job descriptions are general overviews, not a mandatory comprehensive list. If you feel passionate about our efforts and believe that you have the skills to contribute to the growth of our organization, we want to hear from you!
Careers
seattleopera.org