Bio
Greg Carpenter is the first individual to hold the title of Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director in the 39-year history of Opera Colorado. He has served in this capacity since 2007 and guides both the artistic and administrative operations of the company. Greg joined Opera Colorado in July of 2004 as the Director of Development.
During his tenure at Opera Colorado, Greg has initiated a new artistic vision for the company which embraces new and rarely performed works presented in innovative ways. This initiative began in 2016 with Opera Colorado’s presentation of the world premiere of Lori Laitman’s The Scarlet Letter and has continued in subsequent seasons with Laura Kaminsky’s As One in 2017, the world premiere of Gerald Cohen’s Steal A Pencil for Me in 2018, Tom Cipullo’s one-act operas titled After Life and Josephine in 2019, and in 2022, Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s The Shining.
Greg has been the chief architect behind collaborations with the Denver Art Museum, Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado Railroad Museum, Buntport Theatre, Davis Contemporary Dance, the Mizel Arts and Cultural Center, Rocky Mountain Public Media, and numerous other Denver based cultural institutions. Greg led the collaboration with conductor Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra to record the 2008 production of John Adams’ Nixon In China on the Naxos label, and the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter with the Opera Colorado Orchestra which was released on Naxos in August of 2017 to significant critical acclaim.
Prior to joining Opera Colorado, Greg worked for four years for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, first as a special project coordinator for the President of the National Symphony Orchestra and then as the Director of Development. Greg also served as the Artist and Events Manager for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, where he managed the Marion Anderson International Vocal Arts Competition and Festival, and the William Kappel International Piano Competition and Festival. Mr. Carpenter was a professional opera singer from 1984 – 1998 singing leading and supporting roles at Glimmerglass Opera, Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, Cleveland Opera and Lyric Opera Cleveland.
Mr. Carpenter has served on the Board of Directors of OPERA America, the national service organization to the field. He served as Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention held in Denver, CO, and in 2009 was awarded a Livingston Fellowship in Leadership from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Greg also serves as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has judged the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Annual Voice Competition in New York City. He received a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Wittenberg University; a Master of Music in vocal performance from Michigan State University and completed Post-Graduate Studies with the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland School of Music.