Graeme Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Graeme James Ewers Jenkins (born 1958, London
, United Kingdom
) is a British
conductor, specializing in opera
. He read music at the University of Cambridge
, and later studied conducting at the Royal College of Music
. He worked with Norman Del Mar
and Sir David Willcocks
, and as an Adrian Boult
Conducting Scholar, Jenkins conducted Britten's Albert Herring
and The Turn of the Screw
. From 1986 to 1991, he was music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
Jenkins made his first conducting appearance with the Dallas Opera
in 1992, and in 1994, became the company's music director. In Dallas, he became the youngest ever British conductor to have conducted Richard Wagner
's Der Ring des Nibelungen
. In May 2007, Jenkins extended his Dallas contract to May 2011. His Dallas contract has since been further extended to May 2013. In May 2011, the Dallas Opera announced the conclusion of Jenkins' tenure after the 2012-2013 season, after which he is scheduled to take the title of Music Director Emeritus. In Europe, Jenkins was principal guest conductor of the Cologne Opera from 1997 to 2002. Jenkins debuted in 2005 at the Vienna State Opera
with Britten's Billy Budd
.
Jenkins and his wife Joanna have two daughters, Martha and Isabella. They have a home in Dorset
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
conductor, specializing in opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. He read music at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and later studied conducting at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. He worked with Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
and Sir David Willcocks
Sir David Willcocks
Sir David Valentine Willcocks CBE MC is a British choral conductor, organist, and composer. His son, Jonathan Willcocks, is also a composer.- Biography :...
, and as an Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
Conducting Scholar, Jenkins conducted Britten's Albert Herring
Albert Herring
Albert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten.Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia...
and The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story.Due to its ambiguous content, it became a favourite text of academics who subscribe to New Criticism. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive...
. From 1986 to 1991, he was music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
Jenkins made his first conducting appearance with the Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
in 1992, and in 1994, became the company's music director. In Dallas, he became the youngest ever British conductor to have conducted Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
. In May 2007, Jenkins extended his Dallas contract to May 2011. His Dallas contract has since been further extended to May 2013. In May 2011, the Dallas Opera announced the conclusion of Jenkins' tenure after the 2012-2013 season, after which he is scheduled to take the title of Music Director Emeritus. In Europe, Jenkins was principal guest conductor of the Cologne Opera from 1997 to 2002. Jenkins debuted in 2005 at the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
with Britten's Billy Budd
Billy Budd (opera)
Billy Budd is an opera by Benjamin Britten, from a libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 1 December 1951. It is based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville....
.
Jenkins and his wife Joanna have two daughters, Martha and Isabella. They have a home in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.