Search for permanent Artistic Director to get under way

By Peter Alexander Oct. 6 at 12:50 p.m.

The board and leadership of Central City Opera (CCO) yesterday announced the appointment of Scott Finlay as president and CEO of the opera company.

Finlay has been with Central City Opera for 12 years, most recently as vice-president of development. In announcing Finlay’s appointment, the company said that they will now begin a national search for a new artistic director—a position that has been open since the resignation of Pat Pearce from CCO leadership in June, 2022. That search will be led by Management Consultants for the Arts, a longstanding consulting firm that has clients large and small throughout the United States, from the Chicago Symphony to the Napa Valley Opera House in California.

In CCO’s news release, Finlay wrote “I am deeply honored to assume the position of President & CEO at Central City Opera. This institution’s legacy is unparalleled, and I am committed to honoring its past while embracing the necessary changes to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and the opportunity to lead CCO into a new era.”

CCO board co-chair Heather Miller writes, “[Finlay’s] dynamic leadership and tenure with the company make him the perfect fit for us. He brings a deep understanding of the organization from both the artistic and administrative sides. We are looking forward to seeing Scott, and the company flourish.”

Finlay succeeds former CEO Pamela Pantos, who was employed by the company from January, 2022, until she left the company last July, near the end of CCO’s 2023 summer festival. Pantos had overseen difficult and at times contentious negotiations for a new contract with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), a union representing singers and apprentice artists at the company. That conflict was resolved with the signing of a new contract in May, 2023.