Noche de Ópera

Chinese soprano Yuxin Liu recently earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in opera performance at The University of Texas at Austin, where she also served 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–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.

Joseph Choi is a Korean-American pianist celebrated for his sensitive and sincere artistry across solo, chamber, and collaborative performances. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied under Anton Nel, and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio.

Joseph has earned numerous awards, including Second Prize at the NTD International Piano Competition and Best Performance of a Baroque Composer at the San Antonio International Piano Competition. He has performed at prestigious venues such as Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Aspen Music Festival, and collaborated with ensembles including the Austin Symphony Orchestra and the Aeolus Quartet.

A versatile and community-driven artist, Joseph has served as Assistant Conductor for the Vienna Opera Academy, held faculty appointments at Concordia University Texas, and served on the boards of Panoramic Voices and the Pflugerville Arts Council. He currently works as a Teaching Artist and Pianist for Austin Opera, Pianist for the GRAMMY®-winning choir Conspirare, Staff Accompanist at Huston-Tillotson University, and Organist at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. He is also Music Director for One Ounce Opera’s Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera, an annual showcase of contemporary chamber opera in Austin.