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Welcome Back Concert:
Die Walküre

August 28, 2021 at 7:00 PM
Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion Lawn


Overview

Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner

In celebration of our community and our return to in-person performances, Seattle Opera roared back to life with a spectacular outdoor event. The music of Richard Wagner's iconic opera filled the Seattle Center campus from the Fisher Pavilion Lawn to the International Fountain. This abridged version of Die Walküre featured more than two hours of Wagner’s incredible music, kicking off with the ever-popular and blood-stirring “The Ride of the Valkyries.”

Lawn tickets were sold out and many more opera-lovers and passers-by enjoyed the concert for free. The sound was broadcast across the Seattle Center campus and jumbo screens were viewable from the International Fountain area.

Concert Partner

Seattle Center 2021

Production Sponsors

Tom McQuaid
Joan S. Watjen—in memory of Craig Watjen

Performance Information

Performance Information


Concert Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes with one intermission
Sung in German

Broadcast on Classical 98.1 KING FM on Saturday, October 16 at 10:00 AM

Learn more about this special one-night-only concert, follow along during the KING FM rebroadcast, or relive the experience! The complete program booklet is available online and includes artist information, a synopsis, photos from past Ring cycles at Seattle Opera, and more.

Read the Program

Artist Reviews

[Meade’s] plush voice had enormous yet utterly unforced power.”

– The New York Times

Owens, an American marvel, has been hitting on all cylinders lately with triumphs around the world…”

– Chicago Sun Times

[Jovanovich] is dramatically fearless.”

– The New York Times

[LoBianco’s] a magnetic, passionate performer.”

– The Capitol Times

[Aceto's] performances continue to gather both popular and critical acclaim.”

– SCHMOPERA

Cast

Angela Meade

Sieglinde

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Sieglinde, Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre

Hometown: Centralia, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Leonora, Il trovatore ('19)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Angela Meade & Jamie Barton in Concert ('20)
Recently: Aida, Aida (Gran Teatro del Liceu, Arena di Verona); Elisabetta, Robert Devereux (Los Angeles Opera) 
Upcoming: Norma, Norma (Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, Teatro Regio di Parma); Anna Bolena, Anna Bolena (Teatro Carlo Felice)

Last updated: June 2021
Angela Meade

Sieglinde

Brandon Jovanovich

Siegmund

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Siegmund, Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre

Hometown: Billigs, MT
Seattle Opera Debut: Cavaradossi, Tosca (’08)
Seattle Opera Young Artists Program (’98)
Recently: Samson, Samson et Dalila (Staatsoper Unter den Linden); Hermann, The Queen of Spades (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Siegmund, Die Walküre (Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Upcoming: Parsifal, Parsifal (Wiener Staatsoper); Bacchus, Ariadne auf Naxos (Metropolitan Opera); Lohengrin, Lohengrin (Royal Opera House Covent Garden)

Last Updated: June 2021
Brandon Jovanovich

Siegmund

Raymond Aceto

Hunding

Bass
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Hunding, Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre

Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Seattle Opera Debut: Badger/Father Aloes, The Priest, The Cunning Little Vixen (’94)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Raimondo, Lucia di Lammermoor (’00)
Recently: Fafner, Siegfried (San Francisco Opera); Hunding, Die Walküre (Washington National Opera); Lo zio Bonzo, Madame Butterfly (Metropolitan Opera); Surin, Pique Dame (Metropolitan Opera)
Upcoming: Soloist, STARias: Opera’s Most Powerful Moments (Wolf Trap Opera); Captain, Florencia in the Amazon (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Last Updated: June 2021
Raymond Aceto

Hunding

Alexandra LoBianco

Brünnhilde

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Isolde, Tristan and Isolde

Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
Seattle Opera Debut: Donna Anna, Don Giovanni (’14)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Brünnhilde, Celebration Concert: Die Walküre (’21); Floria Tosca, Tosca (’21); Santuzza, Cavalleria rusticana (’20); Aida, Aida (’18)
Engagements: Turandot, Turandot (Maryland Lyric Opera); Leonore, Fidelio (North Carolina Opera); Floria Tosca, Tosca (Portland Opera); Overseer/Klytämnestra’s Confidante, Elektra (Metropolitan Opera)

Last updated: February 2022
Alexandra LoBianco

Brünnhilde

Eric Owens

Wotan

Bass-baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Wotan, Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Seattle Opera Debut
Recently: The Wanderer, Siegfried (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Hagen, Götterdämmerung (Metropolitan Opera): Porgy, Porgy and Bess (Metropolitan Opera)
Upcoming: Porgy, Porgy and Bess (Metropolitan Opera); Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte (Washington National Opera)

Last Updated: June 2021
Eric Owens

Wotan

Creative Team

Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Conductor, Carmen
Hometown: Lyon, France

Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus of Seattle Symphony

Previously at Seattle Opera: Conductor, Les Troyens in Concert (‘25); Das Rheingold (’23); Samson and Delilah in Concert ('23); Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21)
Seattle Opera Debut: Beatrice and Benedict (’18)

Engagements: Music Director (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra); Conductor Emeritus (Seattle Symphony); Associate Artist (BBC Philharmonic); Guest Conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Danish National Symphony)

Last Updated: January 2024
Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

Dan Wallace Miller

Director

Director
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Pagliacci

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: The Combat (’17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21); Tosca (’21); Three Singing Sisters ('19); Il trovatore (’19)
Engagements: Director, Rigoletto (Opera San Jose); Director, Scenes Program (Santa Fe Opera); Director, Roméo et Juliette (Central City Opera); Director, Susannah (Wolf Trap); Director, Tosca (Opera Naples); Director, Carmen (Kentucky Opera)

Last updated: June 2024
Dan Wallace Miller

Director

Connie Yun

Lighting Designer

Lighting Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Freddie Ballentine and Kunal Lahiry in Concert; Tosca

Hometown: East Lansing, MI
Seattle Opera Debut: Die Fledermaus (’06)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Samson and Delilah in Concert (’23); The Marriage of Figaro (’22); Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21); Don Giovanni (’21);The Elixir of Love (’20); The Turn of the Screw (’18); Beatrice and Benedict (’18); An American Dream (’17 and ’15)

Engagements: Lighting Designer, La bohème (Opera Colorado); The Barber of Seville (Madison Opera); Salome, Pelléas & Mélisande (Des Moines Metro Opera); María de Buenos Aires (The Florentine Opera); Madame Butterfly (Opera Philadelphia)

Last updated: March 2025
Connie Yun

Lighting Designer

Robertson Witmer

Sound Designer

Sound Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: The Pirates of Penzance

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: The Falling & The Rising (’19)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Tosca (’25); The Magic Flute (’25); Jubilee (’24); X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (’24); Das Rheingold (’23); A Thousand Splendid Suns (’23); Orpheus and Eurydice (’22); Tosca ('21); Flight ('21); Don Giovanni ('21); Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (’20)
Engagements: Fancy Dancer (Seattle Rep); Enemy of the People (ACT Contemporary Theatre); Peril in the Alps (Laguna Playhouse)

Last updated: May 2025
Robertson Witmer

Sound Designer

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