韩艺璇博士
Soprano Yixuan Han, DMA, is a pioneering educator in developing a new version of IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) for Chinese songs. At the University of North Texas (UNT), she studied vocal performance and vocal pedagogy under Dr. Stephen F. Austin, one of the world’s foremost vocal pedagogues, and won UNT’s 2019 concerto competition. Prior to her time at UNT, Dr. Han obtained two masters degrees from Xinghai Conservatory of Music and the University of Central Oklahoma. She taught at the Lanzhou City University for 12 years. During this period, she won three national-level China Outstanding Vocal Instructor awards. Many of her students won top international and national vocal awards, and are now educators of vocal performance throughout the country. Dr. Han is a winner of multiple national level competitions, such as the Golden Bell Competition of China (2013) and Chinese Central Television (CCTV) Vocal Competition of China (2012); the winners of which were both selected from a field of over ten thousand professional vocalists. In 2007, Dr. Han also won the internationally recognized Italian Bellini International Vocal competition. Operatic roles Dr. Han performed include Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Fiodiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, Rosalinda from Johann Strauss's Die Fledermause, Adina from Donizetti's L'Elisir D'amore, Queen of the Night from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Anna from Mozart‘s Don Giovanni and many others. Dr. Han is currently the CEO of HanOpera International Art Center, a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Pi Kappa Lambda, and a founding member of the board of directors for the International Association of Music and Arts (IAMA). She has served as a judge for the NATS (Texoma Area) preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds for two consecutive years.
Karen Solomon
Karen Solomon is a teaching artist with skills in voice, piano, musical direction, voice acting, and performance/presentation coaching. At the University of Louisiana, she earned a Master’s in Vocal Music Education, minors in English and Performance, and was a Supervisor of Student Teaching. She completed a directed study at Louisiana Tech in “The Male Adolescent Voice”, studied at the Yale Cabaret Conference (coached by NYC’s leading cabaret artists) and attended Living Values International Educators in Oxford, England. Her teaching approach is a holistic one that combines the science of voice with psychology, allowing students to explore their authentic voice as a tool of expression while building confidence and character. Karen believes that vocal performance is a medium for story-telling; it creates an atmosphere that engages, inspires, entertains. Dual careers enrich Karen’s ability to teach and thrive in both the “live stage” and “academic” worlds of singing. For 25 years, she lived in Athens, Greece, working in schools, music conservatories, holistic health, event planning, recording studios, and voice acting. She also performed as a singer/pianist on cruise ships, was lead vocalist in jazz and pop combos throughout Greece. In addition, her a capella trio “SKY” self-produced 2 CD’s, found on Apple Music, Spotify, and other streaming platforms. Karen has wide ranging teaching experience, including PreK-12 grade music education/choral directing, plus vocal coaching and musical direction in youth and community theaters. She sings Broadway, pop, and jazz favorites that are fresh and authentic. Ultimately, Ms. Solomon believes an exploration of the voice is an exploration of self; it creates a journey in which music has the power to inspire and heal.
SHEBA OGADA NYANJOM
A master teacher with nearly 40 years of teaching experience, Sheba holds a Bachelor of Music Education in Early Childhood Music and a Master of Music Education, and is certified for music teaching from grades K-12, and has extensive experience teaching with the Orff method. Born in Kikuyu, Kenya, Sheba studied at the University of Geneva and the Conservatoire de Musique de Geneve in Switzerland, and obtained her masters at Northwestern University, IL. Sheba has a passion for music and for sharing it with her students. Her goal is to foster a lifelong love and appreciation for all types of music in her students. Letting children be who they are deep down inside so that they can live a life where they have meaningful interactions with all people and the environment around them is an important part of Sheba’s approach to teaching. Sheba resides in Frisco, Texas with her electrical engineer husband and 3 sons, all of whom were/are homeschooled. Her eldest son is an electrical engineering student at UTD. Her middle son is an aspiring lawyer and Latin scholar, and her youngest son says he wants to be an electrical engineer like his dad.
Shengjie Liu (Pianist)
Shengjie Liu is an accomplished pianist and educator, deeply committed to musical excellence and artistic development. Currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas, Shengjie has amassed a rich academic and professional journey that resonates with musical achievements and teaching experiences across prestigious institutions. Shengjie has made contributions to music through various roles. During 2021-2023, He served as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University, where he shared his expertise with college students to foster future musicians' development and contribute to the vibrant music community. His role as a Teaching Assistant at the University of North Texas allowed him to expand his musicianship in solo and chamber music and collaborative arts, where he has been appointed as the pianist of the UNT Marie A. Moore Trio since 2023. As a faculty member at HanOpera Music Academy, he offers music instructions in piano playing, music theater performance, and choral studies. As an active concert pianist, Shengjie’s repertoire resonates with diverse styles and genres. Noteworthy performances include solo recitals at major venues in the States, China, South Korea and Vienna, Austria. In addition to his performing career, Shengjie is proud to be an educator. His cultivation and collaborative teaching style have helped his students win major competitions nationwide, as well as in the international sphere.
Melanie Spector (Soprano)
Praised for her "commitment to operatic excellence” by Operawire, Melanie Spector is a New York-born soprano and recent graduate of the Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program. She made her company debut in the 2022-23 season as the High Priestess in Verdi’s Aida in a cast headlined by Angel Blue and Christine Goerke. Since then, she has performed with the company as a soloist in Cage’s Europeras 3 & 4 and as Chocholka/Mrs. Pásek in Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen, and covered in Handel’s Xerxes (Atlalanta) and Golijov’s Ainadamar (Margarita Xirgu). Other role credits include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) at Savannah Opera and Opera Tampa, Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte) with Eugene Opera and the Stuttgart Philharmonic, and Woglinde (Das Rheingold) with the Miami Music Festival Wagner Institute. She is a two-time District Winner/Region Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and she has received several other awards from noted organizations including the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the National Society of Arts & Letters, SAS Performing Arts Company, the Camille Coloratura Awards, and Tuesday Musicale of Detroit. In addition to singing, Melanie has been featured as a regular panelist on the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera Quiz aired during live Saturday matinée international radio broadcasts. When she is not on the stage, Melanie enjoys teaching voice and piano lessons, as well as tutoring music theory, aural skills, music history, acting, and diction. Her top priority in teaching is to focus on solid, healthy technique to bring out the unique sound and artistry of each of her students. Melanie has taught through her own private studio and previously at Han Opera Studio, and she has tutored through Manhattan School of Music, from which she holds both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Classical Vocal Performance.
Dr. Keying Xu
Mezzo-soprano Keying Xu, DMA, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance from the University of Alabama, where she studied under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Houghtaling. She also earned a Master’s degree in Voice Performance from West Texas A&M University under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Meerdink, and holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Spanish and Communication from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Xu’s academic journey is closely tied to her passion for the Spanish language and its musical heritage. Her studies in Spain allowed her to immerse herself in the local culture, further deepening her connection to Spanish music. This experience sparked a profound exploration of Spanish art songs, zarzuela, and other culturally significant music, which she now integrates into her repertoire and scholarly work. Throughout her career, Dr. Xu has also portrayed a wide range of operatic roles, including Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Inez in The Gondoliers, Goffredo in Rinaldo, Bradamante in Alcina, Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Carmen in Carmen, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, and many others. Her performances have graced the stages of the University of Alabama Opera Theatre, Red River Lyric Opera, WTAMU Opera, Amarillo Opera, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, and Opera Viva. Dr. Xu is deeply committed to the teaching and mentoring of aspiring vocalists. As a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the National Opera Association (NOA), she believes that music is an essential part of life. This conviction drives her passion for teaching, where she is dedicated to helping students of all ages gain confidence in their singing abilities, fostering growth as musicians, and sharing her knowledge with the next generation of performers.
William Derusha (Musical Theater Director)
Will Derusha graduated with his bachelor’s from UNT in 2013, where he studied music and Spanish. He has taught private and group voice lessons for the last 7 years at various schools in the area, including Hillwood Middle School in Keller, and Webb Middle School in Garland. He taught musical theater and staged productions of The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Alice In Wonderland at Frisco School of Music to students ages four to eighteen. In addition to teaching, he has been singing professionally on stages throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for the last 10 years with companies such as Fort Worth Opera, American Baroque Opera Company, Orchestra of New Spain, Mansfield Philharmonic, Collins Classical, and Dallas Classical Singers. His range of experience spans from sacred/oratorio to opera and musical theater.
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