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DTSTAMP:20270120T033000Z
DTSTART:20270120T033000Z
DTEND:20270120T044500Z

SUMMARY:Speight Jenkins Celebration Concert
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate the life and legacy of former Seattle Opera General Director Speight Jenkins in a special concert featuring the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and some of opera’s most celebrated artists.During his 31-year tenure, Speight transformed Seattle Opera, making it one of the largest and most respected opera companies in the United States, recognized worldwide for its ambitious programming, its nurturing environment for young artists, and its landmark presentations of the works of Richard Wagner. He was a passionate champion of singers, bringing Seattle audiences both international renowned stars and emerging artists who would go on to become the opera greats of their generation.Paying tribute to Speight's lifelong love of the arts, the concert features soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams performing "her show-stopping aria" (Art Scene in Wales) from Tosca: "Vissi d'arte" (“I lived for art”). Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, whom Speight once hailed as the "ideal in an opera singer" (Seattle PI), returns to celebrate the impresario who played a pivotal role in his career at Seattle Opera and beyond.Conducted by George Manahan, the program includes works by Puccini, Verdi, and Wagner, along with poignant video tributes from artists and colleagues around the world whose lives were touched by Speight's generosity, leadership, and passion for opera. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra opens and closes the evening with two symphonic masterpieces, including Wagner’s transcendent Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin.Additional special guests and artists will be announced at a later date.Everyone is invited to join in a public reception in Speight’s honor after the concert in the McCaw Hall lobby.Tickets are pay-what-you-wish. All proceeds will support emerging artists. Performance Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes with no intermission
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