Tenor Vinson Cole has sung at most major opera houses across the globe, and worked with many of the world's leading orchestral conductors. Cole has taught at the University of Washington School of Music and at the Aspen Music Festival and School, conducted master classes for the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program and the Canadian Opera Company, and is currently a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. He was a Center music panelist in 2009.