On October 5, 2023, the Central City Opera (CCO) announced the appointment of Scott Finlay as the new President and CEO. The role has been open since July 2023, and with Finlay’s 12 years of experience at the organization, the company is pleased with its decision.

Finlay’s path to Central City Opera began during his time as a student at the University of Colorado. He was studying music and working towards his doctorate when he realized he did not want to pursue a career in academia. Instead, he took a job in the development office at the University’s College of Music, where he learned the art of fundraising and discovered a passion for it. His mentor at the time, Barbara Zurlingo, eventually became the director of development at Central City Opera and recruited Finlay to join the company in 2010.

Finlay describes his time at CCO as formative and credits the company with helping him grow personally and professionally. He feels a deep connection to the organization and is excited to take on a leadership role that allows him to shape its future. Finlay’s main goals as president are to ensure financial stability, communication with the artists and the American Guild of Musical Artists, expand community engagement, and address societal issues through performances.

One of Finlay’s primary objectives for CCO is to establish a solid financial foundation for the company. With only 15% of revenue coming from ticket sales, the Opera relies heavily on charitable contributions. Finlay recognizes the importance of leveraging the Opera’s assets, such as its historic properties in Central City, to generate additional revenue. He is actively seeking opportunities to partner with for-profit companies to leverage these properties in a way that can be financially successful. By securing a stable financial footing, CCO will be able to continue delivering world-class performances and expand its artistic offerings.

Beyond his financial goal, Finlay has spoken highly of the company’s education and community engagement programs, noting that they have inspired him to increase his own efforts. Last year, as Artistic Director, Finlay began a project tackling the question: How do we make the Opera relevant to new audiences? Opera is storytelling at its finest, and it is CCO’s job to tell the right story in the right context for audiences to understand.

This new project is a mental health program that addresses suicide and mental health issues with teens and preteens by partnering with other agencies in the community who are already doing this work in schools.

Finlay explained, “By taking the work that they are doing and partnering it with scenes from opera that present suicide, the ideation of suicide or attempted suicide, we are able to create a story around that that reaches people in a way that we wouldn’t be able to if we were just going in and doing scenes from operas.” Finlay understands that there is still a lot of progress to be made in that area but looks forward to making a difference in people’s lives.

When it comes to recent negotiations with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), it was Finlay’s predecessor who dealt with the agreement. He did acknowledge that tensions were extremely high and it was a tough period for the company. Since the CCO and AGMA came to an agreement in May 2023, Finlay’s plan for the future is to emphasize communication.

He stated, “What I can tell you is that I’m a firm believer in communication. And I think that we’re all on the same page. But we have to communicate in a way that is respectful of each other, and deliberate and find where we are agreeing and then move towards solutions, rather than trying to be contrary to one another.”

Finlay is confident that Central City Opera will resolve any outstanding issues and continue to foster positive relationships with its unions. He emphasizes that the artists and their interests are the most important, and it’s imperative that the opera treats them well and provides for them. At the same time, however, the company has to look out for the program itself because if the company is not surviving, neither will the artists.

As Finlay looks to the future, he is excited about the potential for growth and innovation at CCO. He hopes to ensure that the company is representing the community accurately, from a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) perspective. He also wants the company to be reaching out and addressing societal issues, such as the Suicide Prevention Program. Forming that balance between artistic excellence and community engagement is how the company will achieve success. Although he can’t disclose specific details yet, he promises these initiatives will be transformative and hopes to inspire other opera companies to follow suit.

Beyond wanting the CCO to impact the local community, he hopes that the impact will spread throughout the country.

He said, “I hope not only to change the way that Central City Opera handles its business and the way that we see ourselves, but I hope that I can change the way opera companies across the country see themselves and do business with regards to engagement and how we approach the community because I think it’s so critical.”

To read the complete contract between CCO and AGMA, go to https:// centralcityopera.org/news/central-city-opera-announces-four-year-contract-with-agma/?mc_ cid=ffd14405dc&mc_ eid=df1a31d772. Learn more about the Opera at centralcityopera.org.

For tickets and festival information, call 303-292-6700 or email boxoffice@centralcityopera.org.