CENTRAL CITY OPERA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Volunteer and Donor Relations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- Director
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
American stage director Alison Moritz has quickly gained a reputation for her innovative interpretations of the classic repertoire and her equally incisive takes on contemporary music theatre. She is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Central City Opera, the fifth oldest opera company in the United States.
Alison's work focuses on using music as a prism for human emotion - as such, her recent projects have been lauded as "enchantingly cheeky" (Washington Post), "elegantly sexy," and "raw, funny, surreal, and disarmingly human" (Opera News).
In addition to taking on her new role of Artistic Director at Central City, Alison's current activities include directing new productions of Don Giovanni (Cincinnati Opera) and Elizabeth Cree (Glimmerglass Festival), and collaborating on the 2024 Santa Fe Apprentice Scenes. Future projects include original productions with Opera Philadelphia, Opera Omaha, and Austin Opera.
Alison's ambitious 2022-2023 season included a landmark celebratory 50th Anniversary performance of Leonard Bernstein's MASS at the Kennedy Center, as well as house debuts directing original productions at Cincinnati Opera (The Knock, world stage premiere), Wolf Trap Opera Company (Faust), and the Atlanta Opera (Candide). Other recent highlights include original productions for Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Omaha, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Bard Music Festival, and Portland Opera.
Alison served as the Interim Managing Artistic Director of Opera at Peabody Conservatory during the 2021-2022 season, where she produced a season of mainstage opera and spearheaded the socially conscious "Opera in Action" initiative. She has also guest directed and taught at Juilliard, Eastman School of Music, Rice University, and Bard College. Her additional professional credits include directing engagements at Austin Opera, Palm Beach Opera, New Orleans Opera Association, Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Madison Opera, Edmonton Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara.
Passionate about opera as a living art form, Alison has workshopped and directed several world premieres including Proving Up (Mazzoli/Vavrek; Washington National Opera), Taking Up Serpents (Sankaram/Dye; Washington National Opera), The Knock (Vrebalov/Brevoort; Glimmerglass), and Chunky in Heat (Experiments in Opera, NYC). Her production of Kevin Puts/Mark Campbell's The Manchurian Candidate was nominated for seven Austin Critic's Table awards and won four, including Best Production. She has also workshopped pieces by David Hertzberg and Rene Orth for Opera Philadelphia and her multidisciplinary works include projects in film and Virtual Reality. In fall 2022, Alison made her television directing debut with the experimental Everything for Dawn, a ten episode opera series airing on WNET and All Arts.
Alison has served on the directing staffs at Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Minnesota Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera. She holds a B.A. in Music and Art History from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.M. from Eastman School of Music.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
Job Titles:
- Patron Services Associate
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- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
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- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
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- Secretary of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
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- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Finance
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
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- Associate Director of Education & Community Engagement
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Chancellor, University of Denver
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Director of Historic Properties
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- Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- President, Central City Opera Guild
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Board of Directors
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- Education & Community Engagement Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Education & Community Engagement
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors
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- Assistant to the Music Director and Orchestra Personnel Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
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- Member of the ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- President
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). His vision for CCO is built upon a comprehensive plan encompassing four critical areas within the company:
Financial sustainability involving innovative approaches for revenue generation by the leverage of current assets and endowment fund development.
Labor relations with a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and fair compensation for artists, along with proactive social media strategies to address public concerns constructively.
Innovation and audience development based on the reimagining of CCO's artistic vision while continuing to support the world-class quality for which the organization is famous. In addition, expanding collaborations, and ensuring accessibility to attract a wider and younger audience.
Expanded community engagement and educational outreach initiatives that foster stronger connections by showcasing artistic creations and highlighting the contemporary significance and societal relevance of opera for 21st-century audiences.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONORARY BOARD
Job Titles:
- Governor, State of Colorado
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Office Administrator & Gift Shop Administrator