News-or-Reviews

Dr. Craig Jessop is Professor of Music and the founding Dean for the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University. These appointments follow Dr. Jessop’s distinguished tenure as music director of the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Head of the Department of Music at Utah State.

1983/84 Utah District Winner

Distinguished American tenor Stanford Olsen is one of this generation’s most successful and versatile artists, his career spans more than 1,200 performances on five continents over the course of 30 years. He is a Professor of Voice at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance.

2004 Utah District Winner

Mezzo-soprano Leah Wool has been hailed by Opera News as "among the more distinctive and accomplished artists of her generation," with a "voice of truly beautiful timbre." The 2014-2015 season brings anticipated returns to two companies: the San Francisco Symphony, for Handel’s Messiah, conducted by Jane Glover, and the Utah Opera, for Dorabella in Così fan tutte.

1998/99 Utah District Winner

Celena Nelson Shafer has garnered acclaim for her silvery voice, fearlessly committed acting and phenomenal technique. She spends much of her time on the concert stage where she appears regularly with major orchestras. A celebrated artist in her home state of Utah, Ms. Shafer has long relationship with the Utah Symphony & Opera where during the 2014/2015 season she will be Artist-in-Residence.

2006/09 Utah District Winner

Hailed as a “rich voiced, expressive mezzo-soprano” and “appealingly direct and honest in tone and bearing,” Nina Yoshida Nelsen recently made her New York City Opera debut as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, conducted by George Manahan. Nina will make her Seattle Opera mainstage debut summer 2015 singing the role of Mama in the world premiere of An American Dream.

2008 Utah District Winner

Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen is quickly gaining international recognition as one of the most outstanding voices of her generation. She was the winner of both the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the 2011 Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, a prize winner in the 2014 Richard Tucker Awards, and she received first prize in the 2014 Operalia Competition.