Aidan Lang, respected in the opera community for positions of leadership with New Zealand Opera, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, the Buxton Festival and Opera Zuid, has been named Seattle Opera’s third General Director effective September 1, 2014.  Lang succeeds Speight Jenkins, who has led the company for more than three decades.

Lang will join Seattle Opera as General Director Designate on March 10, 2014, working closely with Jenkins and Executive Director Kelly Tweeddale during the transition period.  Jenkins continues as General Director through August 2014 and has created the programming for both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.  Beginning immediately, Lang will be included in planning for the 2015-16 season, working towards his first fully programmed season in 2016-17.

Lang has served since 2006 as General Director of New Zealand Opera, where he implemented a series of collaborations with such companies as Glyndebourne, Opera North, and Welsh National Opera, bringing exciting productions from directors Nikolaus Lehnhoff (Jenufa), Tim Albery (Macbeth), and Christopher Alden (Turandot) to New Zealand.

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

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