Native American Artists in Opera

A design created by Louie Gong, Seattle artist, educator and public speaker who was raised by his grandparents in the Nooksack tribal community. This unique butterfly—composed of two abstract eagles on either side of the Space Needle—is Louie's homage to a city undergoing rapid transformation. It stands as a reminder to both long-time Seattleites and recent transplants that the city's character is rooted in its rich history and communities, and an understanding of this history should lead our decision making as we plan for the future. Over the last few years, this design has also grown to symbolize Indigenous presence and unity. It was initially developed in 2010 as branding for the Seattle Indian Health Board’s Indigenous Cultures Day event. In 2015, a variation of this design was also adopted as the mark of Seattle’s successful movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.

By Arryn Davis

Seattle Opera would like to acknowledge, today and every day, the territory we work and perform on includes the ancestral homelands of the Duwamish and other Coast Salish people. In honor of Native American Heritage month, and to mark Thanksgiving in 2019, Seattle Opera wanted to shine a spotlight on a few indigenous opera artists from throughout the years. From Zitkala-Ša—a Sioux librettist who wrote her own opera in 1910, to Holden Madagame—a tenor helping to pave the way for other transgender singers, Native American artists have crossed boundaries and broken barriers in opera for over 100 years.

Seattle Opera presents Eugene Onegin

Seattle Opera presents Eugene Onegin in January 2020. Philip Newton photo

Ring in the new year with a Russian romance; experience a journey through poetry and tormented love in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. January 11–25, 2020 at McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $35

Leave everyday life in Puget Sound behind this January and step into the splendor of 1800s Russia. Seattle Opera’s Eugene Onegin will offer audiences lush orchestrations by Tchaikovsky, elegant ballroom dances, grand sets, and period costumes worthy of The Last Czars on Netflix.

Tchaikovsky, famous Russian composer of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, wasn’t a fan of grand opera when he wrote the opera Eugene Onegin (pronounced “oh-NYAY-ghin,” where the “G” is like “goose”) in 1877. He found works like Wagner’s Ring or Verdi’s Aida to be difficult for everyday people to relate to. Thus, he chose a ubiquitous work of Russian literature, Pushkin’s famous novel in verse Eugene Onegin, as the subject of his opera.

“Alexander Pushkin is to Russian what William Shakespeare is to English,” said Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann. “Still today Russians read and study Pushkin's Eugene Onegin in school—a story without a happily-ever-after, but one that offers an incomparable journey through beauty, poetry, and romance.”

Buzz for The Falling and the Rising

From left: Jorell Williams (Homecoming Soldier), Tess Altiveros (Soldier), Elizabeth Galafa (Toledo), Tim Janecke (Jumper). Philip Newton photo

See what the press is saying about Seattle Opera's next chamber work, The Falling and the Rising, which plays Nov. 15–24, 2019 at The Opera Center.

THE SEATTLE TIMES 

"Perhaps the most gratifying thing about “The Falling and the Rising,” is what it indicates about the company’s priorities. The attention it’s been paying to new work — incisive, relatable, concerned with social issues and intent on bringing underrepresented voices to the opera stage — is no fluke, but a central focus of its mission." [Read more...]

—Gavin Borchert

CLASSICAL VOICE NORTH AMERICA

"The open heart at the core of Seattle Opera’s production of The Falling and the Rising, an intermission-less, 70-minute chamber opera about America’s wounded warriors, had the power to leave numerous audience members and at least two singers in its small, all-veteran chorus in tears." [Read more...]

—Jason Serinus

KUOW

"Alejandra Valarino Boyer, Seattle Opera's Director of Programs and Partnerships, believes The Falling and the Rising will connect with people who never imagined they’d come to an opera house. She hopes to see a significant presence of active duty service people and veterans in the audiences. 'I keep saying we’ll be really successful if the audience is 50/50, vets and active duty personnel as well as civilians,' she says." [Read more...]

—Marcie Sillman 

A soldier and opera lover shares his story

Left: Joshua Rodriguez today, with his wife Michelle at a Seattle Opera gala, and before, as a cadet. "My wife Michelle has experienced the best and the worst of the Army, where I learned some of the hardest lessons leadership can offer. She’s had to endure reports on CNN that cover stories explaining why my unit was suddenly blacked out on communications without knowing if I was alive or dead, all the while taking care of our kids, getting a Master’s degree, and working full time to maintain career progression for herself. No matter what I do in the future, I don’t know that I’d ever perform at the same level she has for 10 years now." 

By Gabrielle Nomura Gainor
Joshua Rodriguez will never forget bringing his fellow soldiers home alive after a particularly close call with the Taliban. It was nighttime at his remote observation post in Kunar, Afghanistan.

“We had nine U.S. Soldiers, one Latvian officer, and no more than 10 Afghan National Army Soldiers in defense,” Rodriguez says. “The enemy had approximately 80 fighters, all of whom were committed to ending our lives.” 

It took all but three of the 43 grenades they had on hand, plus numerous individual acts of bravery. But somehow, Rodriguez and his soldiers made it through the night with only minor injuries. 

“We left that mountain with two Bronze Stars for Valor, three Army Commendation Medals for Valor, and one hell of a story.”

Today, Rodriguez is an Army veteran, an officer in the Reserve, and leads an investment management team for Goldman Sachs. In his spare time, he serves on the Seattle Opera Board, where most recently, he's been helping to launch The Falling and the Rising as a member of the steering committee. Based on interviews with active-duty soldiers and veterans, this new American opera shines a light on the untold stories of American service members. Through a collaboration with Path with Art, the opera's chorus is composed entirely of veterans from the Puget Sound region.