Episode 172: James Robinson
James Robinson Courtesy David Jaewon
James Robinson is a stage director and arts administrator who has worked at opera houses throughout the world. His double-calling is unique.
He currently is Seattle Opera’s fifth general and artistic director. As we recorded this, I regreted the recent passing of Speight Jenkins, a predecessor of James Robinson at Seattle Opera between 1983 and 2014.
James Robinson had been the artistic director at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for 16 years, where he directed numerous world premieres. He also mounted innovative revivals of operas by John Adams, Ricky Ian Gordon and Philip Glass.
James has directed three productions for the Metropolitan Opera: George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Terence Blanchard’s Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the company’s first opera by an African American composer. He’s due back at the Met next March with Kevin Putz’s and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night.
James Robinson has directed numerous productions for Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Santa Fe Opera.
