Resident Stars

Chinese soprano Yuxin Liu is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in opera performance at The University of Texas at Austin, where she also serves as teaching assistant for the Butler Opera Center. 

She has appeared in leading roles including Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Violetta in La traviata, and Lan, the Chinese Princess, in Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul. She joined Austin Opera in the 2023-2024 season, appearing in the ensemble of Carmen, and will collaborate with OPERA San Antonio as an outreach artist and with Austin Opera as a Resident Star in 2025-2026.

Ms. Liu began her formal training in Beijing, earning a Bachelor of Music from the China Conservatory of Music. She later completed her Master of Music at the New England Conservatory, where her performance credits included Amor in L’arbore di Diana and the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. She was also featured as a soloist in the NEC Liederabend Song Series. Her additional training includes programs with OPERA San Antonio’s Classical Music Institution, Accademia Verdiana in New York (Teatro Regio di Parma), and SongFest.

Her artistry has been recognized in major competitions. She is a two-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Arkansas District, 2024, 2025) and the inaugural recipient of the American Art Song Prize at SongFest 2024. In 2023, she was awarded Second Place at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (TEXOMA) Competition.

German-American lyric soprano and classical pianist Sandra Villwock brings artistry and versatility to both the operatic and recital stage. In recent seasons, she has performed with Austin Opera, Opera San Antonio—where she shared the stage with her five-year-old daughter in her debut as Dolore in Madama Butterfly—and One Ounce Opera, where she originated the role of Calista in Ray Bradbury, Age 12, at the Carnival in Waukegan, IL, a micro-opera composed by Tyler Mabry.

This past summer, Sandra made her European debuts as Musetta in La Bohème with Opera Classica Europa in France and as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni in Germany, a joint production between L’Opera Piccola and her non-profit opera company, VOCA International Opera.

When not performing, Sandra devotes her time to VOCA Music, the home studio she founded to share her love of classical piano and voice with students of all ages. She is passionate about making opera and classical music accessible to new audiences and about creating meaningful performance opportunities for local artists.

Sandra earned her Bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California. She lives in Circle C Ranch with her husband, Peter, their six-year-old daughter, Emily, three-year-old son, Andrew, and their Labrador retriever, Arnold.

Annisha Mackenzie, mezzo-soprano, is based in Austin, Texas, and is a graduate of Texas State University (B.M. in Vocal Performance). Her credits include Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Cendrillon (Cendrillon), and Phoebe (The Yeomen of the Guard). She is praised for her expressive physicality, vocal clarity, and comedic timing, noting her ability to make even the smallest moments memorable (BroadwayWorld.com).

She has worked with many local organizations, including Gilbert and Sullivan Austin, One Ounce Opera, and LOLA. In addition to her stage work, Annisha is a teaching artist and outreach performer with both Austin Opera and Opera San Antonio, where she regularly presents programs in schools, community centers, and other public venues. She is also a choral scholar at University United Methodist Church and teaches voice at Velocity Music School and Eastside Music School.

Hannah Park, mezzo-soprano, recently completed her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Baylor University. Her notable stage credits include Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel and Armelinde in Viardot’s Cendrillon with Baylor Opera Theatre, Flora in La traviata and Lola in Cavalleria rusticana with Spotlight on Opera at Tulsa Opera, and Ruggiero in Alcina and the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with The University of Alabama Opera Theatre. In addition to performing, she has choreographed in various styles for Cendrillon and Luisa Fernanda with Baylor Opera Theatre, and has directed for opera scenes showcases with Baylor and Music On Site. Hannah is thrilled to join the musical scene in Austin and connect with the Austin Opera community!

Described as having “a comfortable mastery of vocal technique”, Lucas Hickman is a lyric tenor hailing originally from Carlisle Massachusetts. He received his Masters Degree in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Bachelors of Music from Ithaca College. His performance credits include Turridu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera51, Tito in La Clemenza di Tito with Metrowest Opera, Cavaradossi in Tosca, with Opera51, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with the Monterrey Summer Opera Academy, and Bardolfo in Falstaff with the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia.

Mitch Jones, Baritone, began his singing career early in the Atlanta Opera Chorus where he fostered a love for Operatic singing. He went on to complete a Bachelor's in Vocal Performance at Indiana University's Jacob's School of Music where he portrayed notable leading roles such as Curly in Oklahoma! and Don Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, and participated in both Opera and Musical Theater throughout each season's productions. Upon graduating, Mitch soon joined the San Francisco Opera Chorus as a regular member, singing in more than eight productions a year for six seasons. Additionally, Mitch sang as a professional section leader within the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, singing on the Grammy Award Winning Opera Recording of Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater. A lifelong lover of language learning, Mitch has taken many opportunities to travel and sing abroad, having led youth choral groups on European tours and lived and sang for a year in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mitch is very excited to be joining Austin Opera this season as a Resident Star where he seeks to further hone his soloistic craft and share in his love for the artform.