A Night at the Opera

Pauline makes her second appearance with the Golden Valley Orchestra. Receiving the title of “New Voice Rising Star” from the Association of Vocal Artists of Taiwan, she has also garnered many awards and scholarships in the US and Taiwan. This includes awards from The Wonderlic Voice Competition in Maryland, the National Taiwan Student Music Competition, the Taichung Student Music Competition, the Nan-hai Rotary Scholarship Awards Competition in Vocal Music, and Tunghai University’s Concerto Competition.  Pauline also received a merit-based scholarship from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University and was recently awarded a full scholarship and teaching assistantship from the University of Minnesota. Performing actively in the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre, Pauline has sung many leading roles, including “Adele” in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, “Queen of the Night” in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and “Flora” in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. Pauline earned a Master of Art from Tunghai University in Taiwan, and a Master of Music from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Vocal Performance at the University of Minnesota, under the tutelage of Jane Giering-De Haan.

Zixuan is an active and versatile performer on the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre stage and beyond. Zixuan has sung numerous operatic roles, including a recent 2023 performance in Italy as “Donna Anna” in Don Giovanni. That same year, she also sung “Arminda” in Mozart’s la finta Giardiniera and “Giorgetta” in Puccini’s Il Tabarro with the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre. Other roles include “Cio-Cio-San” in Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, “Nedda” in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, “Fiordiligi” in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and “Manon” in Massenet’s Manon. After receiving her bachelor’s  degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in China, Zixuan went on to study at the Manhattan School of Music where she received a Master of Music. Zixuan is currently in her second year of studies at the University of Minnesota, pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts  degree.

Leo is an undergrad who is rapidly establishing his presence in the local arts scene.  Recent appearances include performances with the Mill City Professional Opera, the Rochester Symphony, and a special guest appearance on WCCO’s Channel 4.  Leo has performed numerous roles including "Fenton" in Verdi’s Falstaff, "Dr. Blind" in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and in November of 2023 "Podestá" in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera with the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre. A Showcase Artist and scholarship winner for Thursday Musical, Minnesota Varsity (Classical MPR), Leo has also performed with Opera Viva! - the prestigious Italian opera program in summer of 2023. As a junior at the University of Minnesota, Leo is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Religious Studies. When he is not busy with his voice studies, he has a private studio teaching voice and piano students in the

Haozhen has made a resounding impact on the local arts scene, landing a leading role in the Minnesota Opera’s 2023 world premiere of Song Poet. Other notable roles include “Silvio” in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, “Michele” in Puccini’s Il tabarro, “Pandolfe” in Massenet’s Cendrillon, “Belcore” in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and “Papageno” in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. This year Haozhen will participate in the young artist program at the Opera Company of Middlebury. Currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota, Haozhen also holds a Master of Music in Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.