Graeme James Ewers Jenkins (born 1958[1] in 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.[2] 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.[3] Subsequent to a further extension of his Dallas contract to May 2013, the Dallas Opera announced in May 2011 the conclusion of Jenkins' tenure after the 2012–2013 season.[4] He now has the title of Music Director Emeritus of the Dallas Opera. Jenkins conducted the first commercial recording of Tobias Picker's opera Thérèse Raquin with Dallas Opera for the Chandos label. 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.
References
edit- ^ ANONIMO; Routledge (2009). International Who's Who in Classical Music 2009. Routledge. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-85743-513-9.
- ^ Cantrell, Scott (November 2006). "And That Spells Dallas". Opera News. 71 (5). Retrieved 5 December 2007.
- ^ Press Release (22 May 2007). "The Dallas Opera is proud to announce that Music Director Graeme Jenkins will sign a new, four-year contract" (PDF). Dallas Opera. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
- ^ Press Release (3 May 2011). "Music Director Graeme Jenkins Announces Plans to Leave His Post at the Dallas Opera" (PDF). Dallas Opera. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.