Central City Opera 2025 Auditions

President and CEO, Central City Opera

With a remarkable twelve-year journey within the organization, Scott Finlay brings an unparalleled understanding of CCO’s rich history, its unique challenges, and its immense potential for artistic and organizational growth. Originally from Jena, Louisiana, Finlay holds an impressive educational background, including a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Monroe (BBA-Management ULM ’89), a master’s degree in vocal performance (MM ULM ’94) and doctoral work at the University of Colorado in vocal performance and pedagogy (DMA CU ABD). 

Scott Finlay Biography - Central City Opera

Senior Director of Artistic Planning and Partnerships, Central City Opera

Margaret holds degrees from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA with a cognate area in Japanese Aesthetics and Music; MM), Lawrence University (BM), and a Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University. A soprano recognized for a “voice that is crystal clear” (Opus Colorado), she traveled across the US, in Germany, and all over her home state of Colorado. She’s worked as a cultural consultant and artist/producer for Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Japanese Arts Network, Group Project, Breaking Glass Arts, Opera On Tap Colorado, The Arvada Center, and 9News KUSA Colorado’s documentary on Japanese American internment at Amache. 

Head of Music, Central City Opera

Colorado based pianist Jeremy Reger maintains an active performing, teaching, and coaching career.  He has served on the music staff of Virginia Opera, Opera Steamboat, Eugene Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, Mill City Opera, Central City Opera, and the Minnesota Opera. He is featured in several albums with both mezzo soprano Michelle DeYoung and baritone Andrew Garland. He is co-chair of Voice, Opera, and Musical Theatre, and Associate Professor of vocal coaching at CU Boulder.  Prior to that position, he taught at the Music Academy of the West, Christopher Newport University, and at the Jacob’s School of Music. A strong advocate of new opera, Reger has participated in workshops for composers Damien Geter, Jake Heggie, Tom Cipullo, Ricky Ian Gordon, Kevin Putz, and Mark Adamo. 

Jeremy Reger | College of Music | University of Colorado Boulder

Head of Training Programs, Central City Opera 

Corinne Hayes is a stage director, dramaturg and educator, and has recently been named Head of Training Programs for Central City Opera. In the 25-26 season, Corinne will make directorial debuts with Washington National Opera (Revival Director, The Little Prince) and Opera Lafayette (Dido and Aeneas), while continuing her tenure as Director of Acting for the Maryland Opera Studio.

The 24-25 season began with performances of Christian De Gré Cárdenas and Joseph Reese Anderson’s Orgullo at Joe’s Pub @ The Public in New York City; under Corinne’s leadership, the Maryland Opera Studio opened The Public’s Hispanic Heritage Month programming, marking the Maryland Opera Studio’s NYC debut. 24-25 continued with the premiere of Ashi Day’s new opera, The Fishwife, and a new production of Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, both with the Maryland Opera Studio. In the 23-24 season, Corinne led new productions of Die Zauberflöte for Annapolis Opera and FIorencia en el Amazonas for the Maryland Opera Studio. Recent season highlights include a new production of Don Giovanni with the Maryland Opera Studio, a new staging of Le nozze di Figaro for Annapolis Opera, and returns to Miami Music Festival for L’incoronazione di Poppea and L’Orfeo; Corinne also collaborated with composer Justine F. Chen and playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger on a reading of their new opera, TWA. In recent seasons, Corinne created new productions of La rondine for the Miami Music Festival, Rigoletto for Opera Mississippi, and Così fan tutte for Winter Opera St. Louis; she has led site-specific productions of David Conte’s The Gift of the Magi and Gershwin’s Blue Monday with Marble City Opera.

In addition to her role at the university, Corinne serves as Artistic Advisor for DC-based opera theater company IN Series, where she conceived and directed a virtual production of Melissa Dunphy’s The Gonzales Cantata, directed the world premiere of ZAVALA-ZAVALA, and served as Creative Producer on Black Flute, BOHEME in the Heights, and OTHELLO/DESDEMONA. Corinne’s long association with Washington National Opera includes serving as Assistant Director to Francesca Zambello (Candide, The Little Prince) and E. Loren Meeker (Don Giovanni). Beyond the rehearsal hall, Corinne has presented courses and lectures at the University of Maryland, Temple University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Webster University.

Corinne Hayes Website

 Assoc. Prof. Of Music and Voice, Berea College

Mark R. Calkins, tenor has appeared in leading roles with opera companies throughout North America and Europe. Performing Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri, The Prince in La Cenerentola, The Count in Le Comte Ory, Oreste in Ermione and Camille in The Merry Widow to critical acclaim in Opera houses such as: Opera De Nantes, France; Dublin Grand Opera, Ireland; Cologne Opera, Germany; Pacific Opera, Victoria; Wexford Opera, Ireland; The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Central City Opera, Birmingham Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Castleward Opera, Northern Ireland; Kentucky Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Toledo Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Omaha, Mobile Opera, and Dayton Opera. In 2009 he was awarded the Thursday Musical “Teacher of the Year.” Mark presents Master Classes in classical singing throughout the United States. In 2019 he presented 22, in Beijing and Chongqing, China, the USA, and in Ecuador. Mark teaches master classes in Broadway Performing each year at the renowned Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and in classical vocal technique for the Kentucky ACDA Summer Choral Conservatory.

A former member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s young artist development program (now the Ryan Opera Center), Mark was featured as the conductor of the Berea College Women’s Chorus on Listen a nationally televised CBS Christmas Concert in 2016; as Cassio in Otello on an A&E nationwide production of Spotlight Colorado; and starred in a National Public Television Broadcasting System Television production and World Premiere of Robert Greenleafs’ Under the Arbor, available on DVD. Concert engagements include appearances in Europe’s Music festivals in Salzburg, Bregenz, Villach, Austria; Merano, Italy and Bremen, Germany with Roger Norrington conducting the London Classical Players in Rossini’s Stabat Mater. He has appeared throughout the U.S. in Broadway touring productions of Phantom of the Opera. Recent student achievements include principle and supporting role contracts and performances at: Vienna Staatsoper, Paris Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Des Moines Metro Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Metropolitan Opera; District and Regional Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition winners; many statewide Kentucky and Minnesota NATS competition winners.

He is an Associate Professor of Music, Berea College, Kentucky.

pianist, Baltimore; Assoc. Prof., Keyboard and Vocal Studies at Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University

pianist, Denver; 2025 Central City Opera Festival Music Staff