Artistas docentes de la ópera de Austin
Austin Opera’s Teaching Artists are highly accomplished singers based in Austin. They bring music into schools, perform for Austin Opera events, and hold positions as covers and chorus members in our season productions. Read more about our 2023-2024 Teaching Artists below!
Cristina Flores, soprano
cristina flores is a Mexican-American soprano, film, commercial, and theater actress originally from the border town, Laredo, TX. Her performances have been featured in film festivals, audio books, voice-overs, and commercials in Texas, L.A., Tokyo, India, and Nicaragua. Some of her past roles include: Flora in Vuelta del tornillo, Greta Fiorentino in Escena de la calle, María en West Side Story, and Ben, in matt y ben. Most recently she was seen as Lily, in the short film, Pepito, on HBO Latino, and was nominated for a B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Actress in her role as the bird, Delilah, with One Ounce Opera.
Cristina loves performing in central TX and has a deep background in education through her experience in AmeriCorps, as a Children’s Choir Director at Central Presbyterian Church, and as a Bilingual Early Childhood Music Instructor at Armstrong Community Music School. She has a strong passion for making opera accessible in the community, and currently sits on the board of One Ounce Opera and the Musicians Advisory Panel for Austin Texas Musicians.
Sandra Villwock, soprano
Sandra Villwock is a German-American soprano, praised for her “crystal clear coloratura,” “rich lyric timbre,” and emotive portrayals of the characters she embodies. She attained her Bachelor and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California and is the co-founder of non-profit organization, VOCA Music Association. She recently moved from San Diego, CA to Austin, TX and is excited to tap into the city’s dynamic music scene and continue to grow VOCA’s mission to bring classical music to a broader audience.
She has travelled internationally performing concert and operatic repertoire with companies including: Bologna International Opera Academy, L’Opera Piccola, Pacific Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera of Orange County, Austin Opera, Austin Symphonic Choir, USC Thornton University Chorus, and UCLA Chorale.
Recent notable roles have included Gilda (Verdi’s Rigoletto), Musetta (Puccini’s La Boheme), Rosina (Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia), and Juliette (Gounod’s Romeo y Julieta). In the summer of 2024, she will debut the role of Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro.
Sandra has performed as the soprano soloist in various oratorio works, including Handel’s Messiah, De Vivaldi Gloriay la de Haydn Misa de Lord Nelson.
In addition to her passion for the vocal arts, Sandra is an accomplished classical pianist, having studied with renowned pianist Dr. Irina Bendetsky for over 15 years. She teaches piano and voice to students of all levels in the Austin area.
Yu-Hsin Teng, piano
Nativo de Taiwán, pianista colaborativo Yu Hsin Teng recibió su Doctorado en Artes Musicales en Piano Colaborativo en la Escuela de Música Sarah and Ernest Butler de la Universidad de Texas en Austin bajo la tutela de Colette Valentine. Se desempeñó en la Universidad de Texas como asistente de enseñanza y recibió la beca Butler Excellence. Recibió su Maestría en Música en Piano Colaborativo en la Universidad de Boston, donde también se desempeñó como Asistente de Enseñanza.
Yu-Hsin se ha desempeñado como pianista de ensayo para la producción de William Lewis School of Opera de Die Fledermaus y las producciones del Bulter Opera Center de El elixir del amor y Carmen. Ella estrenó el ciclo de canciones Amor, pérdida y exilio por Juhi Basal en el Conservatorio de San Francisco.
Yu-Hsin ha realizado recitales de piano, conciertos y competencias de colaboración vocal e instrumental en Taiwán, Italia y los Estados Unidos, y actualmente forma parte de la facultad de la Universidad Luterana de Texas.