Check-in & Registration, Reception & Orientation, Opening Dinner, Introductions & Listening Devices

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 3:00pm.

PROGRAM REGISTRATION: 4:00-5:00pm. Meet the program staff and pick up your welcome packet.

RECEPTION: 5:00pm. Enjoy a hosted reception with light snacks in our private meeting room at the hotel.

ORIENTATION: 5:30pm. We will have an informative overview of the program, review the schedule, and cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

You are about to embark on a musical adventure, experiencing the most monumental achievement in all of opera: Richard Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle. The program has been designed to provide numerous opportunities to learn more about different aspects of the “Ring” and each of the four operas. That’s a lot of musical intensity, so we have also scheduled time for you to explore and enjoy some highlights of our home city, Seattle.

Dinner: Dinner is in our meeting room.

Evening: INTRODUCTIONS: Dinner is followed by an opportunity to begin getting to know your fellow participants.

LISTENING DEVICES: Our program is equipped with personal listening devices (included in the program price). This state-of-the-art technology makes it possible for everyone to hear clearly what the experts have to say and the knowledge they share. They are comfortable and easy to use. We will have a brief demonstration and practice to enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of the program.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Dinner

Overview of "The Ring," Pike Place Market, Pre-Performance Lecture, "Das Rheingold"

Breakfast: Breakfast in the Terrace Garden, the hotel's dining room. The buffet breakfast includes eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: PRESENTATION: Overview of Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle. Hear an explanation of the complex story from a Seattle Opera expert. The operas are loosely based on Norse legends. Anyone familiar with the “Lord of the Rings” will have a feel for the kinds of characters Richard Wagner created between 1848-1874, not only composing the music but serving as his own librettist.

EXCURSION: Learn about Seattle's 107-year-old Pike Place Market and stroll the three blocks there from our hotel.

Lunch: Lunch is on your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice. Choose from among the Market's 60-plus restaurants and cafés.

Afternoon: FREE AFTERNOON: You may continue exploring on your own or return to the hotel. We recommend taking time to explore the Market at your own pace. Talk to farmers, flower vendors, and artisans about their work. Bring some treats back for later!

Dinner: Because the lecture begins so early we'll eat on our own before departure or at intermission when there will be an opportunity to purchase “small plates.”

Evening: PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE: 5:30pm. Attend a one-hour pre-performance lecture by Sue Elliott, Seattle Opera's Director of Education, on aspects of our first opera.

PERFORMANCE: 7:00pm, “Das Rheingold.” In order to make an all-powerful ring from the Rhine gold he has stolen, the dwarf Alberich curses love and hell breaks loose. Principal artists currently scheduled include Richard Paul Fink as Alberich, Stephanie Blythe as Fricka, and Greer Grimsley as Wotan. The performance is conducted by Asher Fisch, regarded as one of the world’s leading interpreters of Wagner.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast

Chittenden Locks Excursion, Seattle Seafood Lunch, Pre-Performance Lecture, “Die Walküre”

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: EXCURSION: Chittenden Locks. Get a feel for what makes Seattle a special place as you learn from a Corps of Engineers interpreter and see commercial boats and pleasure craft passing between fresh and salt water and salmon swimming up the fish ladder. The Chittenden Locks connect the waters of Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay to the tidal waters of Puget Sound.

Lunch: At a popular seafood restaurant, feast on chowder, seafood stew, fresh salad, and hot sourdough bread. Then your entrée arrives! Choose from Dungeness crab, halibut, salmon, and more.

Afternoon: FREE AFTERNOON: Take a few hours to relax and prepare for this evening's operatic marathon.

Dinner: Because the lecture begins so early we'll eat on our own before departure or at intermission when there will be an opportunity to purchase “small plates.”

Evening: PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE: We will walk a few blocks from the hotel and take the monorail to Seattle Center for another pre-performance talk at 4:30pm to encounter the world of “Die Walküre” (The Valkyrie).

PERFORMANCE: 6:00pm, “Die Walküre.” Forbidden romance, high-stakes drama, and unforgettable music culminate in a fiery showdown. Principal artists currently scheduled include Stuart Skelton as Siegmund, Margaret Jane Wray as Sieglinde, Greer Grimsley as Wotan, Alwyn Mellor as Brünnhilde, and Stephanie Blythe as Fricka. The conductor is Asher Fisch.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

"Ring" Symposium featuring Internationally-known Wagner Experts, Free Afternoon and Evening

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: SYMPOSIUM: Since 1975, Seattle Opera’s dedication to the music dramas of Richard Wagner has been a key component of its mission, making it a can’t-miss destination for Wagnerians around the world. This symposium from 10:00am until 3:00pm (with a break for lunch) is a key element of the program and features leading Wagner scholars and authors including Mark Berry, Michael Hackett, François Rochaix, and Maestro Asher Fisch at the piano. They will address aspects of Wagner’s alchemy that contribute to the Ring’s infinite breadth and depth.

Michael Hackett is a Professor of Theater in the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA and Chair of the Department of Theater. He has directed for the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; the Royal Theatre at The Hague; and many more. His topic is “The Integration of Music, Poetry, and Physical Action.”

Mark Berry, a lecturer in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, will discuss “The Beginning of the World and its Destruction: Examining Wagner’s Exploration of Power."

Lunch: We will have lunch with Symposium attendees with an opportunity to participate in Q&A with Speight Jenkins, Seattle Opera General Director, and stage director Stephen Wadsworth.

Afternoon: SYMPOSIUM continues: François Rochaix, Stage Director of Seattle Opera’s second “Ring” and Parsifal, examines “Paradoxes and Contradictions: How Wagner’s Personal Evolution During Composition of the Ring Stimulates a Director.”

The remainder of the afternoon and evening are free to explore Seattle's many attractions on your own. Program staff will be happy to provide suggestions.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own this evening. The hotel has two restaurants and there are many excellent options in the vicinity. Suggestions will be provided.

Evening: FREE EVENING: Enjoy Seattle's lively theater and music scene or set out on your own adventure.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: EXCURSION: Seattle Art Museum. We will stroll three blocks to one of the city's cultural jewels -- SAM -- to explore its many delights. From its early 20th-century roots, SAM has grown into an internationally renowned museum and the region's premier art institution.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel today.

Afternoon: FREE AFTERNOON: The remainder of the afternoon is yours to return to SAM, explore on your own or relax before this evening's performance.

Dinner: Because the lecture begins so early we'll eat on our own before departure or at intermission when there will be an opportunity to purchase “small plates.”

Evening: PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE: We will take the monorail to Seattle Center for another pre-performance talk at 4:30pm by highly-regarded opera educator Sue Elliott to set the stage for Opera #3.

PERFORMANCE: 6:00pm. "Siegfried" chronicles the development of the naïve yet fearless child of the Siegmund-Sieglinde union. Principal artists currently scheduled include Stefan Vinke as Siegfried, Greer Grimsley as the Wanderer, and Alwyn Mellor as Brünnhilde. Asher Fisch conducts.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

“Tech Talk" & Backstage Magic, Free Afternoon, Seattle Repertory Theatre's Evening of Entertainment Based on The “Ring”

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Go behind the scenes at the Opera House for a “Tech Talk” to learn how stage magic is created. Then take a guided backstage exploration of this state-of-the-art facility.

Lunch: Lunch is on your own after we return from the morning's activities.

Afternoon: FREE AFTERNOON: Explore the Central Library or some of the many other attractions near our hotel.

Dinner: Dine out tonight at a Thai restaurant just a block from the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Evening: PERFORMANCE: Delight in songs and skits inspired by "The Ring" at the acclaimed Seattle Repertory Theatre, acknowledged by the New York Times as “This city’s flagship theatre." Founded in 1963, The Seattle Rep is one of the most renowned regional theatres in the country, producing a mix of classics, recent Broadway hits and cutting-edge new works.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Lake Union Locks Cruise, Pre-Performance Lecture, "Die Götterdämmerung"

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: EXCURSION: We will take the Lake Union Streetcar to the burgeoning South Lake Union district for a cruise past Lake Union houseboats, along the Lake Washington Ship Canal, through the Chittenden Locks, and into Elliott Bay.

Lunch: Enjoy a sack lunch you've selected yourself from an earlier stop at Whole Foods as you cruise Seattle waterways.

Afternoon: Take this opportunity to relax for a few hours.

Dinner: Because the lecture begins so early we'll eat on our own before departure or at intermission when there will be an opportunity to purchase “small plates.”

Evening: PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK: 4:30pm. Sue Elliott prepares you for the final chapter in Wagner's masterpiece.

PERFORMANCE: 6:00pm "Die Götterdämmerung" -- The Twilight of the Gods -- concludes this extraordinary musical, mythological, and dramatic journey. Stefan Vinke as Siegfried and Alwyn Mellor as Brünnhilde head the stellar cast conducted by Asher Fisch.

Lodging: The Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the Terrace Garden Restaurant. Eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, fresh fruit, juice, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, toast station, breakfast breads, pancakes, coffee/decaf/tea.

Morning: WRAP-UP: Take part in a closing discussion of this incredible opera experience. Then view a film showing the construction in 1962 of Seattle's landmark Space Needle.

EXCURSION: For our final outing, we will take the monorail to “the Needle” and ascend its glass-fronted elevator to the observation deck for a panoramic view of Seattle and surroundings. Return downtown at your convenience.

The program concludes with this excursion. Hotel check-out is by 12:00 Noon.

We hope you have enjoyed this extraordinary program and will return for other rewarding Road Scholar learning adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast