James Robinson Appointed General and Artistic Director of Seattle Opera

Today, Opera Theatre joins the Seattle Opera in sharing that James Robinson has been appointed the new General and Artistic Director of Seattle Opera, following a 16-year tenure as Artistic Director at OTSL that included some of the company’s most celebrated achievements and milestones. Mr. Robinson officially concludes his service as OTSL’s Artistic Director in September, although he will continue to appear as a stage director in future seasons. 

“I’m deeply honored by the trust that Seattle Opera’s board has placed in me, and equally grateful to Opera Theatre for being my artistic home since 2000,” said Mr. Robinson. “It’s been one of the great joys of my life to serve as Artistic Director at OTSL alongside so many incredibly talented colleagues and artists. I also have to thank the St. Louis community for their fervent support of opera, both contemporary and classic, over the years. I will always count myself a part of the Opera Theatre family, and look forward to returning in the 2025 Festival Season to direct the world premiere of This House and celebrate OTSL’s 50th anniversary!” 

Mr. Robinson made his Opera Theatre mainstage debut in 2000, when he directed a production of Radamisto, and would go on to direct four more mainstage productions before the announcement of his appointment as OTSL’s Artistic Director-Designate in 2008. Mr. Robinson assumed the full responsibilities of Artistic Director in 2009, when he also directed a widely acclaimed new performing edition of The Ghosts of Versailles. In the years since his appointment, Mr. Robinson has become known as one of the foremost stage directors in the world for new and contemporary opera; in 2022, he was nominated for an International Opera Award for Best Director.  

During Mr. Robinson’s tenure at OTSL, the company has been internationally celebrated for its bold programming of world premiere productions and rarely-seen contemporary gems, many of which have gone on to subsequent stagings at other opera companies across North America. As of its upcoming 2025 Festival Season, OTSL will have produced 16 mainstage world premieres since Mr. Robinson’s appointment, 15 of which he has directed. Perhaps most notable among those world premieres are Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Terence Blanchard, which have both appeared at the Metropolitan Opera among other subsequent stagings, and An American Soldier by Huang Ruo, which was presented just last year at New York City’s Perelman Performing Arts Center. 

“It has been an extraordinary privilege for Opera Theatre to enjoy James’ contributions as an artistic collaborator and a colleague for so many years, and we are thrilled for him as he begins this new chapter at Seattle Opera,” said General Director Andrew Jorgensen. “It is rare to see an artistic leader remain at one company for so long, and I know I speak on behalf of our board and staff when I thank James for his tremendous contributions to advancing the operatic art form over the past 16 years. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with him as a stage director in future seasons and cannot wait to see what he accomplishes in his new post leading another of our country’s most exciting opera companies!” 

Read Seattle Opera’s full announcement