Speight Jenkins, the impresario who turned Seattle Opera into a heavyweight on the international opera scene and a magnet for Wagner devotees, died Saturday at 89.
He died May 30 and is survived by his wife, Linda, two children and three grandchildren, according to The Seattle Times. The paper traces his path from New York music critic to the long-serving leader who reshaped Seattle Opera over more than three decades.
Turning Seattle Into A Wagner Powerhouse
From 1983 to 2014, Jenkins steered Seattle Opera through an era of big artistic gambles and even bigger Wagner projects. Under his leadership, the company staged all 10 of Wagner's major operas and mounted multiple complete Ring cycles, helping turn Seattle into a national and international destination for the composer's work, according to Seattle Opera. Those marathon undertakings, paired with aggressive investment in casting and production, boosted the company's reputation and expanded Seattle's cultural footprint far beyond the region.
Spotting Stars Before They Took Off
Jenkins also earned a reputation as a sharp-eared talent scout. Renée Fleming later recalled that he heard her, Susan Graham and Ben Heppner at the Met National Council auditions in 1988 and brought all three to Seattle, according to New York Classical Review. Company histories and local coverage credit those early hires and debuts with cementing Seattle as a place where young singers could launch international careers.
From Legal Briefs To Opera Buff
Trained as a lawyer, Jenkins pivoted into music criticism and editing, working as an editor at Opera News and writing for the New York Post before moving into arts administration and hosting the radio series "Live From the Met," OPERA America notes. In Seattle, he became a high-profile champion for the arts and a familiar public pitchman for his company, famous for signing off with his trademark promise, "It's going to be a great show. Don't miss it," a line frequently quoted in local remembrances.
National Honors, Local Impact
Jenkins' influence reached well beyond the opera house. He received the NEA Opera Honors in 2011 and a Mayor's Arts Award in 2009, recognition that reflected both his artistic leadership and his civic role, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. Colleagues and critics have pointed to his combination of ambitious programming and relentless fundraising as key to expanding Seattle's arts profile.
Even after he stepped down in 2014, Jenkins' imprint has remained visible across Seattle's operatic life, from McCaw Hall to education and young-artist programs that reach tens of thousands each year, Seattle Opera reports. For audiences, performers and civic leaders, his three decades at the helm helped reset expectations for what Seattle could demand from its opera company.
