With over 85 roles in his repertoire, Corey Trahan is an active performer, educator and stage director in opera, oratorio, music theatre, operetta and recital venues. Known for his comic timing, versatile voice, and onstage charisma, he is being seen and heard internationally in repertoire ranging from operatic classics to modern musical theatre.
In 2023-24, Corey will stage direct productions of La Canterina, Amahl & the Night Visitors, The Tragedy of Carmen (Fort Worth Opera’s Resident Artists), Into the Woods, La Voix Humaine, Bluebeard’s Castle and Gianni Schicchi (Amarillo Opera). Additionally, Corey will join the faculty of the 2024 Fairbanks Summer Music Festival (Alaska) and the faculty of a new training program in Venice, Italy.
During the 2022-23 season, Corey performed Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Des Moines Metro Opera) and was guest soloist for the Louisiana Delta Ballet. Corey staged directed productions of Hansel and Gretel, Dido and Aeneas, The Magic Flute, Little Red Riding Hood, and presented a lecture recital entitled “The History of Broadway in 90 Minutes” (Dallas). Additionally, he performed the baritone solos in Durafle’s Requiem with Mississippi College. In summer 2023, he presented “The Singing Actor” workshop at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Corey began the 2021 season with a debut at Pensacola Opera as Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore. In June 2021, he directed a production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. In December 2021, Corey stage directed Amahl and the Night Visitors and was the baritone soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Additional engagements included a recital of sacred music in Dallas, a lecture recital, “The Evolution of Broadway in 90 Minutes”, for T.C.U.’s Faculty Lecture Series and a return to Des Moines Metro Opera for their 50th Anniversary Season production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In the fall of 2019, Corey coordinated the 2019 John Alexander National Vocal Competition and relocated to Fort Worth, Texas to begin a new teaching position at T.C.U. He presented master classes at Ouachita Baptist University (Arkansas) and Meredith College (North Carolina) as well as recitals in Atlanta and Raleigh. In December, Corey was the emcee and soloist for the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Concert and returned to Louisiana Delta Ballet for performances of The Polar Express. In January 2020, Corey performed a faculty concert at T.C.U. and was a judge for the preliminary round of the 2020 McCammon Voice Competition.
During the 2018-2019, Corey coordinated the 2018 John Alexander National Vocal Competition and presented “The Singing Actor Workshop” at the 2018 Florida Theatre Conference. He was guest vocalist with the Northwestern Florida Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops Concert and performed recitals in Vienna, Austria and Atlanta, Georgia. In the Spring of 2019, Corey presented a concert of musical theatre selections at Eastern New Mexico University, performed Hysterium in Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with the Natchez Festival of Music and joined Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2019 summer season for productions of Bernstein’s Candide and Berg’s Wozzeck.
During the 2017-2018 season, Corey performed Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Emperor Altoum in Turandot, Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, Monsieur D’Arque in Beauty and the Beast and music directed Into the Woods. Recent projects include guest artist residencies at Texas A & M (Laredo), University of Southern Mississippi and Augustana College as well as directing touring productions of Stars of Tomorrow and the 2017 Christmas Gala for Northwestern State University.
During the 2016-2017 season, Corey performed John Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde with the Academy of Children’s Theatre, music directed N.S.U.’s production of Hooray for Hollywood, presented two lectures at the first ever Southern Musical Theatre Conference in Mississippi and was a teaching intern at the International Performing Arts Institute in Germany. That fall, Corey music directed N.S.U.’s production of Young Frankenstein, performed two concert tours (The Best of Broadway and Home for the Holidays) with Lisa Phifer (soprano) and Richard Seiler (pianist) and was Artistic Director for N.S.U.’s 2016 Christmas Gala. He performed Franklin D. Roosevelt in Annie with the Academy of Children’s Theatre, music directed N.S.U.'s production of Next to Normal, performed Hooray for Hollywood with Maryann Kyle (soprano) as part of Mississippi Opera’s Duling Hall Cabaret Series and performed Mordred in Camelot at the 2017 Natchez Festival of Music. In March 2017, Corey presented "Voice Training for Musical Theatre" at S.E.T.C.'s 2017 National Conference in Lexington, Kentucky and lectured at the 2017 Pedagogy of Style Conference at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Corey began the 2015-2016 season by stage directing Gypsy for Strauss Theatre Center and music directing N.S.U.'s production of RENT. He then was a featured clinician at the Educational Theatre Association's 2015 National Conference in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Corey presented concerts at Hodges Gardens (Florien) and for the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts' 2015 State Conference. He presented "The Singing Actor Workshop" at N.O.C.C.A. (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) and Eastern New Mexico University. Corey was director of N.S.U.'s 2015 Christmas Gala, featuring a cast of 450+ artists, in Natchitoches and the historic Strand Theatre in Shreveport. During Spring 2016, Corey’s engagements included a faculty recital at N.S.U., presenting "The Singer Actor Workshop" at the University of Southern Mississippi, guest soloist for Monroe Symphony Orchestra's production of The Music of Billy Joel & Elton John and guest vocalist for Louisiana Delta Ballet's production of Power and Grace. In addition, Corey music directed N.S.U.'s production of Oklahoma and performed Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte with Rapides Symphony Orchestra.
Corey began the 2014-2015 season with "The Voices: One Night Only", a benefit concert for the Strauss Theatre Center. In June 2015, Corey joined Richard Seiler (pianist) to reprise Schumann's Dichterliebe: Opus 48 for Grace Episcopal Church's Summer Concert Series and was named General Manager of Strauss Theatre Center. Corey presented a concert of sacred music in Baton Rouge and performed Monsieur Thenardier (role debut) in Les Miserables in Concert with the Strauss Theatre Center. As the new Director of Music Theatre at Northwestern State University, Corey served as music director for Sweeney Todd and "Broadway to Go", an educational outreach tour featuring NSU Music Theatre Students. As a guest artist/clinician, Corey presented a master class for singing actors at the 2014 N.A.T.S. Southern Region Conference. Corey traveled to Houston to present singing actor master classes for potential high school music theatre students. Spring 2015 began with a faculty recital at Northwestern State University, performing the bass solos in Bach's BMV 78 with Austin Baroque Orchestras and emceeing the 2015 ArtsWork Awards Gala. Corey then joined South Dakota Chorale for performances at the 2015 A.C.D.A. National Convention in Salt Lake City. Corey returned to perform A Night at the Movies with Monroe Symphony Orchestra and debuted with Richardson Symphony Orchestra performing the same concert. Corey served dual roles as music/stage director for Avenue Q at Northwestern State University. He then performed the baritone solos in Durufle's Requiem with Louisiana Tech University. During summer 2015, Corey music directed I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change for Northwestern State University, stage directed and performed Luther Billis in with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra and was co-director of Texas A & M's 2015 Singer-Actor Intensive.
The 2013-2014 season featured Corey in several projects around Asia. In June 2013, Corey produced and performed "You Make Me Feel So Young", a concert of Broadway music. In July 2013, Corey directed and was the Emcee for three performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific in Concert. In August 2013, Corey was featured in "Broadway and Beyond", a showcase of Mahidol University's Music Theatre faculty. During October 2013, he organized an intensive music theatre training program presented in metropolitan Bangkok. In November 2013, Corey debuted with the Bangkok Theatre Festival in I Am What I Am, a cabaret co-written with Shelley Cooper (soprano). In December 2013, he performed holiday concerts around Bangkok and produced/directed a cabaret of Disney music. In February 2014, Corey produced/directed Stars of Tomorrow. March 2014 featured concerts at Bangkok's Sala Sudasiri Sobha and the Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel in Chiangmai, Thailand.
Engagements for the 2012-2013 season included return visits to Fort Worth Opera as Spoletta in Tosca and Opera Birmingham for Madama Butterfly (as Goro) and Die Zauberflöte (as Monostatos). Corey debuted with the Naples Philharmonic for his role premier of Monsieur Triquet in Eugene Onegin. Recently Corey made his international debut performing the roles of Lacouf and Le Journaliste Parisien in Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 2011-2012 season began with Mr. Trahan’s performances of Lun Tha in The King and I at Ash Lawn Opera. He debuted with Mississippi Opera in his role premiere of Goro in Madama Butterfly. Corey returned to Santa Fe as Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte with the Santa Fe Concert Association and Opera Birmingham as Remendado in Carmen. Corey visited his home state of Louisiana for two events: guest vocalist with Louisiana Delta Ballet and guest recitalist at the University of Louisiana. Corey Trahan’s 2010-2011 season included performances of Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music at St. Petersburg Opera (Fl), the role of Giordano Bruno in the new opera Bliss by Joseph Illick, and as a featured soloist in a Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris, both with the Santa Fe Concert Association.
In previous seasons, Mr. Trahan has been seen as Pang in Turandot and Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Birmingham, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Santa Fe Concert Association, Dr. Blind/ Ivan/ Frosch in Die Fledermaus at Amarillo Opera and Salt Marsh Opera, Njegus in The Merry Widow at Opera New Jersey, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte at OperaWorks! in Los Angeles, Mordred in Camelot and Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro at Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Will Parker in Oklahoma and Matt in The Fantastiks at Natchez Festival of Music, and was part of the World Premiere cast of Before Night Falls as the Visa/Customs Official at Fort Worth Opera.
Corey has performed with numerous orchestras including the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Brazos Symphony, Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Jefferson Performing Arts Society in New Orleans and Houston Masterworks.
Corey has performed annual recital tours since 2002 funded by the National Endowment for the Arts' Challenge America Grant and the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council where Corey serves as Visiting Artist and member of the organization's resident touring ensembles.
In addition to performing, Corey has experience teaching on the collegiate level. He completed a two-year assignment as the Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Music at the University of Louisiana where he was Director of Opera Workshop, taught private voice, vocal pedagogy and the history of opera. Corey was also Chair of Music Theatre at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand for two years and for four years, an Associate Professor of Theatre/Coordinator of Musical Theatre at Northwestern State University in Nachitoches, Louisiana. Currently, Corey is Director of Opera Studio at T.C.U. and a member of the Vocal Arts Faculty and Faculty Senate. Additionally, he is President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of N.A.T.S. and President of TCU’s Gamma Epsilon Society (Pi Kappa Lambda).
Corey's academic degrees include the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas, the Master of Music degree from the University of Houston and the Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University. He has been an apprentice with Lake George Opera, Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Amarillo Opera, Shreveport Opera and the Seagle Music Colony. Corey is a current member of the American Guild of Music Artists, Actor’s Equity Association and National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Musician: Corey Trahan
Luther Billis, South Pacific in Concert