John Moore (Rasheed) and Karin Mushegain (Mariam) in A Thousand Splendid Suns. © Sunny Martini “Haunting and beautiful, the story and music merge as one in this formidable show.” —Broadway World “As Opera, A Thousand Splendid Suns Is a Perfect Fit” –Musical America Worldwide “The opera, which opened Saturday night, brought lyrical, beautiful music to a poignant tale on the McCaw Hall stage.” –The Seattle Times “The cast of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS is an indomitable force.” –Broadwayworld.com Rafael Moras (Tariq) likens his love for Maureen McKay (Laila) to that of Layla an ..read more

Image from The Heritage Museum, University of Michigan By Humaira Ghilzai, Afghanistan Cultural Consultant The story of Layla and Majnun is a classic Arab love story that has been told and retold for centuries. Based on the real-life love affair between Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and Layla bint Mahdi, the story follows two young lovers who lived during the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula. Qays falls deeply in love with Layla, but is unable to marry her due to objections of Layla's family. He becomes consumed by his love for Layla and wanders the bazaars singing, dancing and reciting po ..read more

Roya Sadat, Stage Director of A Thousand Splendid Suns; © Farzana Wahidy Widely recognized as Afghanistan’s first female film and television producer during the post-Taliban era, Roya Sadat is the winner of more than 20 international film awards, including the 2021 Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Film Award and the 2018 International Women of Courage Award presented by the United States Department of State. Sadat was featured among the BBC’s 100 Inspiring and Influential Women for 2021, and her three films – A Letter to the President (’17), Playing the Taar (’08), and Three Dots (’03) – have ..read more

Read what the press has to say about Seattle Opera’s upcoming adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed novel, which opens Saturday, February 25, 2023 at McCaw Hall. Learn more at seattleopera.org/suns. Opera magazine Through Afghan Eyes: The creators of A Thousand Splendid Suns talk to Jessica Duchen “‘Driving down the highway at 60pmh with tears streaming down my face,’ says Sheila Silver, ‘I thought, “This is an opera.”’ The composer, the multiple award-winning Professor Emerita of Music at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, was listening to an audiobook of A Thousand Splendi ..read more

Khaled Hossini, author of A Thousand Splendid Suns It has always been my hope that A Thousand Splendid Suns would become a relic of the past. Through the story of Mariam and Laila, the novel chronicles the struggles and hopes of Afghan women over decades of violence and political turmoil. The 1990’s, in particular, were punishing years for Afghan women. In the civil war of 1992-1996—a brutal conflict that saw swaths of Kabul demolished and claimed some 50,000 lives—women bore the brunt of suffering. Women were targeted and used as spoils of war. They were abducted, sexually assaulted ..read more

Seattle Opera’s upcoming world premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini. But A Thousand Splendid Suns only scratches the surface of the breadth of literature written by Afghan and Afghan American authors. Deepen your appreciation of Afghanistan’s rich tradition of art and literature with this selection of recent works. Works by Khaled Hosseini The Kite Runner (2004) “The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is ..read more

Refugee and immigrant women have the highest unemployment rate in the country. Language barriers and cultural differences create challenges for women to discover how to apply their skills and create work opportunities. Seattle’s Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) partners with immigrant women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the U.S. through artisan skills training in zero-waste and small-batch manufacturing. We are humbled to be working with Refugee Artisan Initiative in conjunction with our upcoming world premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns. The organization helps women util ..read more

Seattle Opera has selected Shannon Rolbiecki, a seasoned development professional and Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), as its new Director of Development. As a classically trained singer and opera performer, Rolbiecki brings a rich musical background to Seattle Opera. She begins in the role on December 12, 2022. “With her passion for arts and culture, exceptional track record, and straight-forward personality, Shannon is ideal to serve as our next Director of Development,” said General Director Christina Scheppelmann. “Shannon’s drive and resiliency will fit in perfectly with Seattle O ..read more

Seattle Opera has selected Dennis Robinson, Jr., a seasoned theater administrator with extensive experience as a stage director, as its next Director of Programs and Partnerships. Robinson brings a keen eye for community partnerships to the department, which reaches over 100,000 patrons every year with its educational and civic programming.   “Dennis’s impressive record of bringing opera to new communities gives him impeccable instincts for and insight into community engagement,” says Christina Scheppelmann, Seattle Opera’s general director. “We are very excited for Dennis to lead Seattl ..read more

Up next, Seattle Opera presents the beautiful, evocative music Saint-Saëns composed to tell the story of Samson et Dalila. But why present it as a concert, instead of an opera complete with scenery, costumes, hair and make-up, and special effects? Concert presentations are actually in keeping with Samson and Delilah’s performance history ever since the 1860s, when the work first started taking shape, for several reasons: Profane Opera or Sacred Oratorio? Saint-Saëns himself never quite made up his mind whether he was writing an opera or an oratorio. Both forms use solo vocalists, chorus, and o ..read more