LAMAMIMET

Speight Jenkins Jr., born in Dallas, Texas on January 31, 1937, earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Columbia Law School. After serving in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he turned to music journalism, working as news and reports editor for Opera News and later as a music critic for the New York Post, while also appearing on television and radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera.

In 1983 Jenkins was appointed general director of Seattle Opera, a position he held until 2014. Under his leadership the company mounted two complete cycles of Wagner's Ring and introduced new productions of works by Prokofiev, Debussy, Dvořák, Bellini, Gluck, Strauss, Verdi, Puccini, and contemporary composers, including the world premiere of Daron Hagen's Amelia in 2010. His tenure was marked by artistic expansion and a reputation for adventurous programming.

Jenkins received an Opera Honor from the National Endowment for the Arts and an honorary doctorate from the New England Conservatory in 2011. He authored an art book and narrated a commentary on Wagner's Ring. He died on May 30, 2026, at the age of 89, leaving behind his wife Linda Sands and their two children.