Show Notes: Season 5, Episode 2 - Soprano Emily Pulley and Baritone Jonathan Hays

 

              

From left to right: Baritone Jonathan Hays, Director of Production Karen T. Federing, and Soprano Emily Pulley

Guest host and Central City Opera Director of Production Karen T. Federing interviews Soprano Emily Pulley and Baritone Jonathan Hays on the porch of the historic Pink House in Central City. Emily and Jonathan talk about their history with Central City as young artists and principal singers, how the pandemic has affected their lives, and about volunteering to spend the lockdown helping us maintain historic properties in Central City. This interview is recorded outdoors, and you’ll hear all the ambient sounds of beautiful Central City: wind, a dog barking, bird calls, even the occasional car motor. Watch the video version of this interview on the new Opera Central series at centralcityopera.org.

Emily Pulley and Jonathan Hays both sing concerts for our CCO Al Fresco concert series this summer. Episodes are released digitally every Wednesday through July and August. Watch now at centralcityopera.org/ccoalfresco

Want to pitch in to help us maintain our historic properties like Emily and Jonathan or volunteer for Central City Opera in another area? Contact us at [email protected].

About the interview location: the Pink House, previously known as the McGlone House, was built between 1880 and 1895. Former Central City Opera Artistic Director John Moriarty bought the house from the McGlones in 1983, and he resided there throughout many Festivals before donating it to the company when he shifted to Artistic Director Emeritus in 2012. Perched on the hill above the Opera House, the house has been known for its beautiful gardens. These days, the Pink House is used for housing production staff during the summer Festival season. 

A view of the Pink House's porch in Central City

Curt Olds, mentioned several times in this interview, is a fellow Central City Opera regular and past Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artist. You might remember him as Director/Curator/Soloist in ENCORE: A Musical Revue at Central City Opera in 2018 and 2019. He’s currently performing in Seoul, South Korea in the world tour of The Phantom of the Opera, which is managing cautious, pandemic-era performances. 

Phantom of the Opera World Tour in South Korea. Photo by Woohae Cho/The New York Times

Both Emily and Jonathan have performed extensively with Central City Opera for many years beginning with their time in the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program as young artists. View photos of their most recent roles with the company: Emily Pulley, Carmen in CARMEN, 2017; Jonathan Hays, Donald in BILLY BUDD, 2019.

 

Emily Pulley as "Carmen" in Central City Opera's CARMEN, 2017. Photo by Amanda Tipton

    
Central City Opera's BILLY BUDD, 2019. Jonathan Hays as "Donald" is second row center. Photo by Amanda Tipton