MEET THE PERFORMERS
Jordan McCready, Mezzo-Soprano
Jordan McCready is a mezzo -soprano originally from Anchorage, Alaska. She completed her Masters degree in Voice at San Francisco Conservatory of Music studying with Catherine Cook. There she performed such roles as Maurya in Ralph van Williams’ Riders to the Sea, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Serse in Handel’s Serse, Zanetto in Mascagni’s Zanetto, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Hansel in Humperdink’s Hansel und Gretel. She has performed chorus and cover roles at companies such as Des Moines Metro Opera (Chorus - Die Zauberflöte), Opera Parallel (chorus - Harvey Milk Reimagined by Stewart Wallace), Anchorage Opera (chorus 2016-2018), and Pocket Opera (Fox cover - The Cunning Little Vixen). Jordan received a Metropolitan Opera Laffont Encouragement Award in 2024, was the winner of the Shirley Rabb Winston Scholarship through the National Society of Arts and Letters, received Second place in the James Toland Young Artist Competition, and was the winner of the Anchorage Festival of Music Young Artist award in 2023. During this 25’-26’ season Jordan is thrilled to be joining Opera Colorado as one of their Resident Artists where she will be performing the roles of Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Stephano in Romeo et Juliette, Flora in La Traviata, and Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. When Jordan is not performing you can find her hiking, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, or anything that gets her outside.
Mara Riley, Soprano
Boston - based soprano and flutist Mara Riley is recognized for her compelling musicality, having a particular affinity for early music, art song, and ensemble work. The 2025-2026 season brings performances with the Boston Early Music Festival in Boston, New York, and Germany. She will sing the role of Armillo in Provenzale's La Stellidaura vendicante, and joins the company of Telemann's Don Quichotte at the Magdeburger Telemann-Festtage. She will sing the role of Belinda in Emmanuel Music’s production of Dido’s Ghost, and appear as a soloist with Emmanuel Music’s 55th Cantata Series. She will sing with Aeternum in Napa Valley, and Nightingale Vocal Ensemble in Boston. Recent solo appearances have been with Emmanuel Music, the Boston Early Music Festival, Sarasa Ensemble (Tavener’s Akhmatova Songs), Colorado Bach Ensemble (BWV 47, BWV 10), Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Boulder Bach Festival, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble (Handel’s Samson), Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra (Handel’s Messiah), and the Back Bay Chorale (Handel’s Israel in Egypt). She was a 2024/2025 Voces8 US Scholar. She received an honorable mention in the 2024 Calliope’s Call Young Singer Art Song Competition. She was a vocal fellow with Toronto Summer Music’s Art of Song program in 2025. In 2023, she was named first prize winner in the Colorado Bach Ensemble's Young Artist Competition. She was the 2023 soprano fellow with Emmanuel Music’s Bach Institute. Opera credits include: Calisto in Cavalli's La Calisto, Mary Bailey in Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life, Flora in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Belinda in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Héro in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict. As a baroque flutist, she has performed with Blue Hill Bach, Boston Early Music Festival, and the Handel + Haydn Society (upcoming). She holds a double masters (MM '24) in Flute and Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory.
Erica Thelen, Soprano
Young dramatic soprano Erica Thelen recently completed her studies in voice with Rhoslyn Jones at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She recently moved to New York City to continue to build her operatic musical career. Recent performance engagements include "Ma Zegner" in Proving Up by Missy Mazzoli with SFCM Opera (2024), "First Lady" in Die Zauberflöte by W.A. Mozart with the Santa Rosa Symphony (2023), and covering the title role in Suor Angelica at the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory (2023). Ms. Thelen holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music where she performed as "Elisetta" in Il Matrimonio Segreto, world premiered the "Mermaid/Mother" in The Wild Beast of the Bungalow by Rachel J. Peters, studied the role of "Anne Trulove" in Rake's Progress by Stravinsky, and performed in a master class for Christine Goerke.
Cristina Aurora Villalobos, Soprano
Cristina is an American Latina soprano from Springville, Utah. Cristina holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Utah Valley University (2023), and recently graduated with a Masters in Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (2025), where she continues to study under the tutelage of César Ulloa. Cristina is a multifaceted performer whose stage roles include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Violetta (La Traviata), Mimi (La Bohème), Giulietta (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Le Prince Charmant (Cendrillon), and most recently Girl 3 in the west coast premiere of (ANON) at SFCM. Cristina recently won first place in the SFCM Voice Concerto Competition, and will perform Hector Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été with the SFCM orchestra in October (2025). She is also a recipient of two Encouragement Awards from The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2021, 2022), a concerto competition winner at UVU, and was a first place district winner and a national quarterfinalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition. Determined to be a voice for the classical music world, Cristina is also an advocate for emerging musicians in the field. Aside from music, she loves long walks, boba, cuddles with her adorable teacup puppy Mila, keeping up with pop culture, and enjoying her lively exciting life!