The Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for Colorado Singers
The Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for Colorado Singers is a prestigious annual event designed to spotlight and support the state’s most promising young operatic talent.
- Who can compete: Opera singers aged 23 to 32 as of February 1 of the competition year — no age waivers are granted.
- Eligibility: Contestants must be Colorado residents, enrolled in an accredited Colorado college/university, or active in a Colorado opera company’s young artist program. Proof of residency or enrollment is required.
- Preliminaries: A full day of performances before a panel of distinguished judges.
- Finals: The top 15 singers return to perform for prizes and recognition.
- Prizes: Significant cash awards to help further singers’ professional careers, including a $10,000.00 first-place prize.
- Audience: Free admission with open seating — attendees can stay for the entire event or come and go between performances.
Can’t attend in person? Our Competition Finals are streamed live on DLOG’s YouTube channel, so you can enjoy the performances from anywhere.
Why it Matters:
Since its inception in 1984, the competition has awarded over $1,000,000.00 in prize money and helped launch the careers of many singers who have gone on to perform with major companies such as Opera Colorado, Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and even the Metropolitan Opera.
Meet the Judges: PRELIMINARIES – MARCH 7, 2026
CORINE HAYES
Corinne Hayes is a stage director, dramaturg and educator, and has recently been named Head of Training Programs at 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 (repertoire TBA), while continuing her tenure as Director of Acting for the Maryland Opera Studio.
This summer, she serves as Head of Training Programs at Central City Opera. In the 23-24 season, Corinne led new productions of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Annapolis Opera) and FIorencia en el Amazonas (Maryland Opera Studio). Highlights of the 22-23 season included and a new production of Don Giovanni with the Maryland Opera Studio.
In addition to her role at the university, Corinne serves as Artistic Advisor for DC-based opera theater company IN Series. Corinne’s long association with Washington National Opera includes serving as Assistant Director to Francesca Zambello (Candide, The Little Prince, et al.) and E. Loren Meeker (Don Giovanni).
CYNTHIA LAWRENCE
Recently inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, soprano Cythia Lawrence has been a principal artist at The Metropolitan Opera; Washington National Opera; Guangzhou Opera House; Royal Albert Hall, London; Lyric Opera of Chicago; Opera Colorado; Lithuanian National Opera; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Paris Opera, and many more.
Opera roles include Madama Butterfly; Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera; Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac; Tosca; Rosalinda, Die Fledermaus; Maddelena in Andrea Chenier; Lavinia, Mimi and Musetta, La Boheme; Micaela and Carmen, Carmen; The First Lady and Pamina, Die Zauberflöte; Fiordiligi, Cosi fan Tutte; Lady Macbeth, Verdi’s Macbeth; Dolly, Sly; Liú, Turandot; and Marguerite, Faust..
She performed over 70 times with Luciano Pavarotti. A DVD “A Tribute to Pavarotti: One Amazing Weekend in Petra” features her performances and tribute to Pavarotti. She appeared in concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lima, Peru, and Martingy, Switzerland.
Ms. Lawrence is a professor of Music Performance, Voice at the University of Kentucky.
CATHERINE PRACHT
Soprano Catherine Pracht has established herself as a leading opera singing actress, performing with such prestigious companies as Virginia Opera, Central City Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and Opera Philadelphia.
Pracht’s repertoire spans from baroque to modern American opera, with a focus on new works. She has performed in over 30 operas composed after 1945, including the 2023 premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s and Lida Moore’s February. Other notable contemporary operas include Puts’ Elizabeth Cree, Heggie’s Three Decembers, and Spears’ Fellow Travelers. She recently starred in Central City Opera’s production of The Knock.
In 2023 Ms. Pracht joined the faculty of Bowling Green University as an Assistant Professor of Voice.
Meet the Judges: FINALS – MARCH 21, 2026
TROY COOK
American baritone Troy Cook made notable debuts in past seasons as Ford in Hamburgische Staatsoper’s Falstaff, following his debut with the company as Marcello in La bohème, and with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.
2025-2026 season engagements include Marcello in La bohème with Austin Opera, Handel’s Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and a return to The Metropolitan Opera, covering Gerhard in the company’s season-opening premiere of The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. He performed as baritone soloist for Carmina Burana with the Grant Park Festival, Oregon Symphony Orchestra and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
Troy’s 2024-2025 season began with his home company, Opera Philadelphia, singing the role of Paul Devon in the North American premiere of The Listeners. A champion of new music, he bowed in Virginia Opera’s world premiere, Loving v. Virginia (Geter/Murphy Moo), portraying ACLU attorney Bernard Cohen. Cook joined Spoleto Festival USA reprising the role of Athanael in a newly produced concert version of Thaïs. Also during the season, Cook revived his hugely popular Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance for Knoxville Opera, sang Giorgio Germont in Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances
of La traviata (conducted by JoAnn Falletta), joined the American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of works by C.P.E. Bach, and sang Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra
CHRISTOPHER KOELZER
Solo and collaborative pianist Dr. Christopher Koelzer hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, and performs, records, music directs, and coaches regularly in the New York City, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay areas. Christopher began collaborating in opera, musical theater, and chamber music at age 13, working with Mission City Opera in Santa Clara, CA, and Lyric Theater of San Jose, CA. Christopher received his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance, studying with Dr. Irene Peery-Fox at Brigham Young University, where he coached and performed in the Opera department during his entire degree. He holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music Degrees in Collaborative Piano from University of Maryland, College Park. Christopher currently teaches and performs as Music Faculty and Lecturer at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, and San José State University.
Christopher has been invited to perform across the world as a solo and collaborative pianist. He received an Oscarson Grant to attend the International Music Academy at Plzen, Czech Republic in 2009. He attended Aspen Music Festival and School with full scholarship from 2011-2012, returning as Vocal Fellow in 2014. He was awarded Outstanding Collaborative Pianist Award and Grand Prize Art Song in the Metropolitan International Music Festival Competition in New York, 2016 with mezzo-soprano Nicole Lévèsque. D.C., a performance that collaborated with Hong Kong Ballet and Terra Firma Dance Company. Christopher joined the Merola Opera Program for its 2019 season as Apprentice Coach, premiering Jake Heggie’s If I Were You.
JENNIFER ROWLEY
Soprano Jennifer Rowley is acclaimed worldwide for her unforgettable voice and remarkable stage presence, singing
a richly varied repertoire that includes many of opera’s greatest heroines. Her 2025/26 season brings three role debuts: the fierce Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth at the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova, Turandot with Florida Grand Opera, and Maddalena di Coigny in Giordano’s Andrea Chenier at the Metropolitan Opera. She will begin the 2025/26 season at the Kennedy Center, singing the title role in Verdi’s Aida with Washington National Opera. Ms. Rowley will then perform Madama Butterfly with the Dallas Symphony, both in Dallas and at Bravo! Vail.
Ms. Rowley is an avid mentor to the next generation of opera’s young artists, carrying the torch from her mentor Martina Arroyo. As the founder and director of Aria Bootcamp Ms. Rowley has created a young artist program focused on giving world class training to emerging professional operatic artists. Ms. Rowley holds an annual artist residency at her alma mater, Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, and is currently on the voice faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Audiences will remember Jennifer Rowley’s triumphant Metropolitan Opera role debut as Roxane in Alfano’s Cyrano de Bergerac (2017) which inspired universal critical praise. The New York Times raved that this was a “break-through moment,” further adding that for the heartbreaking final scene, “Ms. Rowley sang with an intensity of expression and a subtly embittered sound that suggested a singer for enormous gift and promise.”
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