Seattle Opera Finds Replacement for Longtime General Director

Speight Jenkins has been the general director of the Seattle Opera for 30 of the company’s 50 seasons, and given his accomplishments - which include renovating the Seattle Opera House, staging productions of the complete Wagner canon and making the company’s “Ring” cycle an international attraction - it seemed as if he would lead the company indefinitely. But Mr. Jenkins, 76, told the board in 2011 that he would like to step down, and that set in motion a two-year search that ended on Wednesday,

The company announced that the British stage director Aidan Lang, currently the general director of the New Zealand Opera, would succeed Mr. Jenkins in 2014.

Mr. Lang, 57, has held his position in New Zealand since 2006. He hasalso been artistic director of the Buxton Festival in Britain, which he expanded to include Baroque and contemporary works, from 1999 to 2006, and Opera Zuid in the Netherlands from 1990 to 1998. Concurrently with his work at Opera Zuid he was principal associate director of the Glyndebourne Festival, and director of productions of Glyndebourne’s touring company.

He also has “Ring” experience that should serve him well in Seattle: he directed the first Brazilian production of Wagner’s tetralogy at the Teatro Amazonas, in Manaus.

It would be hard to imagine a smoother transition than Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Lang and the Seattle Opera have planned. Mr. Lang joins the company as director designate next March and will work with Mr. Jenkins, who will remain general director through August 2014. Mr. Jenkins has already planned the company’s programming through the 2014-15 seas! ons, and during their overlapping months Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Lang will work together on the 2015-16 season. Mr. Lang’s first season on his own will be 2016-17.

“Seattle Opera is one of the world’s most respected opera companies and Speight Jenkins is, quite simply, a legend in our business,” Mr. Lang said in a statement. “I am honored, energized, excited and definitely humbled by the opportunity to lead the company in this next chapter.”

John F. Nesholm, the company’s chairman, said Mr. Lang had been chosen from among 42 candidates from seven countries.