Ciara is a proud Aurora native and Colorado lifer who joined the Aurora Singers in January 2024. Her performance background is extensive, including the Gateway High School Athenians a cappella group, Gateway Women's Choir, Denver Choir League, Bells Performance Team, and the Rocky Mountain Roller Girl Dance Team. She also danced for two semi-pro football teams, the Colorado Cobras and the Southern Colorado Mustangs. By day she works as an HR Coordinator for Arapahoe County Human Services. Outside of singing, Ciara loves dance, yoga, decorating, crafting, and going to concerts. Her favorite Aurora Singers show was the Disney spring 2025 concert, and for good reason: she is a self-described Disney-aholic who got to play Belle, a role she had always dreamed of.

Connie Kipp is a Colorado native with a Bay Area chapter in her story, having spent eight and a half years in California before coming back home. She has been with the Aurora Singers for 23 years and her favorite show was the 2003-2004 Cole Porter anthology, which happened to be her third show ever with the group. A baby grand piano on stage and a repertoire full of Cole Porter was, in her words, so much fun. Her favorite solo is Ten Cents a Dance. Outside of the Aurora Singers, Connie sang with the A Notes in the 1980s and is also a proud member of the Model A Ford Club of Colorado. She spent 22 years as a Branch Manager before becoming an Administrative Specialist at FirstBank. When she's not singing, you'll find her deep in a book or building Legos, and she is a proud grandmother to Ethan, Margo, and Sadie.

Dottie Abshire was born in Louisiana, raised in Texas, and has called Colorado home for 19 years. She has been with the Aurora Singers off and on since 2014, but her turning point came in 2017 when she sang a duet of For Good with tenor Welby Nalls during the May Broadway show while holding her infant daughter on stage. That was the moment she realized she truly loved being up there. Her favorite solo is Morning Girl from Shrek, though Cell Block Tango holds a permanent place in her heart as her favorite number she has ever performed with the group. Outside of the Aurora Singers, Dottie has directed elementary productions of Frozen and The Lion King, and her stage debut was at age five as The Star in a church Christmas pageant, a silent role she obviously nailed. She teaches middle school math by day and describes her hobbies as general shenanigan-ing. She is also a devoted Disney fan who is always planning the next trip to see the Mouse and his castles.

Laurel has been singing with the Aurora Singers for 35 going on 36 years alongside her husband Craig. Outside of the group, she sings with Hope United Methodist Church's choir and bell choir. When she's not making music, you'll find her painting, puzzling, or spending time with family. A retired middle school science teacher who still subs, Laurel recently volunteered on a medical mission trip to Suriname serving underserved communities. She spent a year as an exchange student in Denmark and is still fluent in Danish. Her favorite Aurora Singers shows are the Broadway-themed ones, and fittingly, one of her most treasured solos has been I Could Have Danced All Night.

Nicole grew up in Golden, CO! She and her husband settled in Aurora four years ago. Finding the Aurora Singers was the first thing she did when she moved! Her choral background runs deep, from the 24th Street Singers and jazz and women's choirs at Golden High School through various college choirs and the Denver Choir League. She also currently performs with the Empire Lyric Players, a Gilbert and Sullivan society. Recent roles include “Elsie” in the Yeoman of the Guard! Her favorite Aurora Singers solo is the high note-filled Seasons of Love from Rent, and she has a soft spot for any Broadway-themed show. By day she works as an Account Manager at Zoom. Outside of music, Nicole is a self-described hobby collector: speed puzzle competitions, bowling league, cooking, baking, hiking, concerts, and sunny patio beverages all make the list.

 a retired mental health coordinator. She just bought a house and is having the best time decorating, gardening and making it her home. She enjoys spending time with her family: 5 kids, 6 grandkids, and friends made family. She love all things music: concerts, musical theater, and singing karaoke. Fun fact, she owned a karaoke company in the 90s! 

Jenn originally hails from Pennsylvania, and her path here wound through both music and science degrees before landing her in Colorado! She earned her BA in vocal performance and biology-chemistry from Manchester University, then her MM in vocal performance from the University of Northern Colorado. She also performs with the Empire Lyric Players, a Gilbert and Sullivan society, where she recently took on the role of "Kate" in The Yeomen of the Guard — and this past year marked an especially exciting milestone, her first international credit, playing The Mother in Hansel and Gretel in Germany! Some of her favorite roles to date include Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Queen Aggravain in Once Upon a Mattress. By day, Jenn teaches voice at Front Range Community College and runs her own private studio in Greeley. Outside of performing and teaching, she loves to write, paint, and compose in her spare time.

 As a day job, Devon is a Data Coordinator for clinical research trials. In their free time, they enjoy musical theater and TTRPGS game design.

Coming soon!

Amber is a Colorado native who has been with the Aurora Singers for 23 years. Before joining, she sang with the  “Minor Adjustments” in high school and college. Her favorite shows are the holiday and Broadway-themed ones, and her favorite solo was Adelaide's Lament, which if you know the song, tracks perfectly for an alto with a flair for accents. She is a certified health and nutrition coach and a 20-plus year elementary school teacher who now subs! When she's not in the classroom or on stage, she's tackling DIY home projects around the house. You may also recognize her as the other half of the Aurora Singers' most romantic proposal story, alongside her husband Tom.

Becky sang with the Aurora Singers for 10 years, took a decade-long break, and returned three seasons ago like she never left. Her favorite show was the 1960s decade concert featuring Motown and R&B. Her favorite solo was She Used to Be Mine from Waitress. Outside of singing, Becky enjoys hiking and biking with her husband and their dog, baking sourdough, and spending time with her new grandson and spirited four-year-old granddaughter. She recently retired from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and spent two years living in Malaysia, an experience she calls life-changing.

Regina Kolbeck was born in Wuppertal, Germany and moved to Colorado with her family at two and a half years old! She has been with the Aurora Singers for 10 years and her standout solo has been I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables. Her performance background is extensive, including work with various theater groups, the Colorado Choir, and the Colorado Symphony Chorus, and she currently sings and plays handbells in her church choir. Regina spent many years at US West Direct and Dex Media before finishing her career in healthcare, and is now happily retired. She loves attending theater, movies, and concerts, traveling, and spending time with friends. Fun fact: she also lived in Germany for six months in the 1980s, reconnecting with her roots.

Sandra (also our Board President) is a proud Colorado native who first joined the Aurora Singers in 1994, took a 19-year intermission in Illinois, and happily found her way back home and back to the group she loves. Some of her favorite memories include the Beatles and Spy-themed shows from the pre-millennium years, and she has shined in solos like Nobody Does It Better, Top of the World, and a fun duet of Something Stupid. A first grade teacher for 33 years, Sandra now fills her time with books, cats, watercolor painting, and the Red Hat Society. She also lives by a personal philosophy worth adopting: life is too short for boring nails, and everything is better with glitter. ✨

Sandy is a Denver native who has been with the Aurora Singers since fall of 1989, making her our longest-tenured member at 37 years! A retired elementary music teacher from Aurora Public Schools, Sandy has also performed with Magic Moments and was featured in “Once” at Stagedoor Theater in 2025. Outside of singing, Sandy enjoys reading, tap dancing, jigsaw puzzles, cross stitching, and traveling. She'll also tell you cleaning and ironing are hobbies, but that's up for debate. Most of all, Sandy loves what the Aurora Singers represent: people from all different ages, backgrounds, and walks of life coming together because they love making beautiful music.

As for hobbies outside of singing, Anna play hockeys and loves ice skating. She also loves to watch hockey, be outdoors and hike, to travel, to cook and to try any and all new foods! Lastly, she also enjoys painting and crafting!

Molly is joining us freshly after graduating with her masters of science in speech language pathogy! Post graduation, she hopped right into the real world, as a Speech-language pathologist at a skilled nursing facility! Outside of singing, her hobbies include photography, woodburning, and she loves plants!

Maggie is a mental health therapist, which a clinical social work background. Her hobbies include biking around town, running, traveling, doing karaoke, and hanging out with her little dog Pippa! Maggie has been in over 30 musicals, but it’s been a while and she is so excited to return to the stage. And what better group to do that with than the Aurora singers? 

Matt is an Aurora native who has been with the Aurora Singers off and on for 23 years. One of his earliest and most formative memories with the group was a Broadway-themed show around 2003, which set the tone for what being an Aurora Singer means to him. His favorite solo is Fly Me to the Moon, which makes perfect sense once you know he came to singing later in life after years as a trumpet player. He performs with the Colorado Wind Ensemble, Aurora Symphony Orchestra, and the John Philip Sousa Band of Colorado. By day he is the Manager of Business Services for the City of Aurora. Outside of music, Matt is into antique and classic cars, hiking, golf, and camping.

Welby is an AMAZING singer who is shy about his ability.

For his day job, Connor is a civil engineer at Jacobs, but spends a lot of his time doing many other exciting hobbies! He is a Core Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, an Officer at the American Society of Civil Engineers, loves playing sports, going to pilates, checking out bars/breweries in Denver, going to karaoke, and crafting/sewing! His fun fact is that he was voted “Most Under the Radar" at his 10 year Highschool Reunion (don’t ask- he doesn’t know what it means either) 

Coral stunned us all with her rich low voice and is very excited to be joining the tenors!! Coral is a travel agent and tour operator, and fills her free time with many hobbies including Traveling, reading, hiking, camping, writing, working out, and gardening. 

Craig Laumann grew up in Sherman Oaks, California and has been a Coloradan for 46 years. He has been with the Aurora Singers for 36 seasons and has performed in approximately 140 shows! He has a soft spot for the Great American Songbook and holds the Cole Porter and Gershwin shows close to his heart, though he'll tell you his favorite show is really any one that sends the audience home tapping their feet and smiling. His favorite solos include Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire, and any duet with his wife, Laurel. Outside of the Aurora Singers, Craig performs with the Colorado Jazz Workshop big band and combo, his church choir, and several brass ensembles, and he also directs his church handbell choir. A retired middle school band and orchestra teacher, he still stays busy writing music for the groups he performs with and enjoys travel and sports.

Tom Contreras is a Littleton, Colorado native who has been with the Aurora Singers for five years. His most memorable show moment is one for the books: it was the night he proposed to Amber on stage, making it his favorite Aurora Singers show for obvious reasons. His favorite solo is the duet he sang with Amber, Don't Stop Believing, which tracks perfectly. Outside of singing, Tom is a mailman by day, a chef by night, and a cooking enthusiast all the time.

John Neely (Bass) has been part of the Aurora Singers off and on since 1991. A retired Aurora Public Schools music teacher with 30 years in the classroom, John stays busy these days with watercolor painting, miniature model making, and disc golf. He also performs with the Aurora Orchestra. His fondest Aurora Singers memory is the Beatles show at the Fox Theater, where he donned a full Sgt. Pepper's costume and played acoustic guitar while his wife Sandy sang Blackbird.

Currently residing in Loveland, Armando will be joining us in our Spring shows!Armadno is currently a PhD student at CSU studying Horticulture, as well as a horticulture instructor at Front Range Community College. Hi other hobbies include baking, cook, playing the violin, travelling and "general merrymaking"

Coming Soon

Tanner Kelly is an active director, teacher, and Henry-nominated music director/sound designer around the Denver Metro area. He received two Henry nominations for Outstanding Musical Director (Newsies and Hairspray), two nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical (Newsies and Spamalot) for PACE/Inspire, and one nomination for Outstanding Sound Design (The Wizard of Oz) with PACE/Sasquatch. Outside of being the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Aurora Singers,Tanner music-directed and conducted the 2017 Henry’s, has directed, music- directed and/or played in the pit with companies such as Breckenridge Backstage, THAC, Vintage, PACE, Performance Now, StageDoor, Ignite, Sasquatch, Evergreen Players, Forge Light Theatre Works and Inspire Theatre Company. Tanner is the Performing Arts Coordinator for PASB. He holds a music degree from the Lamont School of Music at DU, a teaching degree from MSU Denver, and has a Master of Music Education degree from ASU.

Matt Kingham is a Denver native who has been the Aurora Singers' accompanist for 22 years. He also serves as the accompanist for East High School's choir and performs with the Empire Lyric Players as their accompanist and their cellist in the pit, and Denver Choir League as a singer. His favorite Aurora Singers memory is playing This Island Earth alongside John and Sandy, and he has a particular love for the Broadway and Disney shows. Outside of music, Matt enjoys hiking, arts and crafts, and travel. He also has perfect pitch, which means every off-key moment in rehearsal is significantly more painful for him than for the rest of us.

Bio for future members