Bio
Born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, Colten began pursuing the performing arts at an early age. He earned two degrees from Northern Arizona University (a BM in classical voice performance/opera and a BS in psychology), and then moved to NYC at 23 to start an MM in Voice Performance: Musical Theatre, and an Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy at NYU Steinhardt. Through both iterations of his higher education, Colten auditioned for and performed in a slew of operas and musicals both professionally, and while in school. Some roles of note include Prince Philippe in Lennox Berkley’s “A Dinner Engagement, Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Edwin/The Defendant in G&S’s Trial by Jury, Link Larkin in Hairspray, Harry in Albert Herring, and Albert Lennox in The Secret Garden. (He also sang back up for Josh Groban once which made his grandma proud and is therefore his crowning achievement)
A mere two weeks after completing his Master’s at NYU, Colten was cast in the National Tour of the Sound of Music covering Rolf, and participating as an ensemble member. After 10 months of being on the road, he came back to NYC to continue honing his teaching and to jump back into auditioning. He was cast as The Young Man/Young Ralph in Riverside Theatre’s production of Joe DiPietro's play The Last Romance, wherein he had the pleasure of playing the younger version of PJ Benjamin’s Ralph. Through being contracted as a principal in this production, he earned his Equity card. Since then, Colten has taken two separate contracts with Holland America Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines as a resident guest vocalist, shot various commercials, short films, and tv shows, (including a guest spot on Law and Order SVU) and recently starred in The Lone Tree Art’s Center’s production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap.
A certified voice teacher, Colten is also passionate about teaching and helping singers of all ages build their instruments. Coming from a varied background of vocal training himself, he has come to understand the singing voice on a deep level. Colten finds profound joy in communicating and building relationships with students in a way that habilitate their individual growth. He is always interested in working with new students of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, so if you are interested in an opportunity to work with Colten, feel free to fill out the contact form on his teaching page.
When not being consumed by this crazy career, you’ll probably find him with a book, hiking or skiing some mountain in Colorado, at the gym, traveling, or eating too much. Colten is deeply grateful to everyone in his life who has supported him over the years and without whom none of this would be possible. He is repped by Hudson Artists Agency in NYC, and Big Fish Talent in Denver.
