Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio
In residence all season, Studio Artists can be seen performing on both our main stage and throughout Arizona. The Studio also provides well-rounded, personalized instruction that propels each artist to the next level. These opportunities help bridge the gap between academic studies and a professional career.
Arizona Opera’s Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio is made possible through the support of: A gift in honor of Mario Manetti, Drs. Tom and Ginger Collier, Marlu Allan & Scott Stallard*, Ron & Kay McDougall, Roma Wittcoff, The Joseph And Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, Dimitri & Suzanne Haniotis, Anonymous, Linda Englander, Matt & Ann Melsheimer, Dr. Katherine Philippakis, Dr. Juliana Osinchuk, Dr. Judith G. Wolf-SPARK Founder, Les & Suzanne Hayt, and Eunice Feinberg.
2025/26 Studio Artists
Francesca Herrera, soprano
1st Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Francesca Herrera is a soprano hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. Most recently, she was a studio artist with Wolf Trap Opera where she covered the roles of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Frasquita in Carmen. She was the recipient of an Encouragement Award in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition North Carolina District. The Opera Guild for Atlanta awarded her the Tommy Trotter Memorial Scholarship in their 2025 scholarship competition. She graduated cum laude from Duke University with a B.A. in music as well as minors in computer Science and psychology. There she was also awarded the Duke Music Department’s Julia Wilkinson Mueller Prize for Excellence in Music. She began pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance under the tutelage of Amanda Majeski before joining the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio.
Sam Krausz, tenor
2nd Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Saint Louis, MO
Sam Krausz is quickly gaining notice as a young tenor with “shining security” (Opera Today). Most recently engaged as a young artist at Des Moines Metro Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, Krausz’s professional work includes performing the Fourth Jew in Strauss’s Salome (DMMO), and covering Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (WTO). Competition credits include a 2023 Regional Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, as well as the 2023 national semi-finals of the Lotte Lenya Competition. After his undergraduate work at CCM, graduate roles at Northwestern University include Tamino (The Magic Flute), Oronte (Alcina), and David (Jake Heggie’s If I Were You).
Wanchun Liang, bass-baritone
1st Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Shijiazhuang city, Hebei Province, CN
Wanchun Liang is earning his performance diploma at Boston University under James Demler, William Lumpkin, and Matthew Larson. He earned a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory in the studio of Michael Meraw. Recent performances include Massenet’s Cendrillon and Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito.
Sedona Libero, mezzo-soprano
2nd Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Mezzo-soprano Sedona Libero is known for the authenticity, playfulness, and passion that she brings to the operatic stage. Libero made her professional debut with the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in 2018 as Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, and, subsequently, made her professional symphonic debut as the Alto Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. In the Summer of 2024, she performed as a Studio Artist with Teatro Nuovo, covering Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti ed i Montecchi. She has also appeared as a Young Artist with Opera Southwest as Ernestina in Rossini’s L’occasion fa il ladro, and as an Emerging Artist at the Seagle Festival where she performed as Rosie Chaney in Kevin Puts and Mark Campell’s The Manchurian Candidate, and as Carmen in Marius Constant’s adaptation of Bizet’s opera, La tragédie de Carmen. She has performed locally in Arizona as a Teaching Artist with Arizona Opera’s OperaTunity tour, and has been a regular guest artist with Chandler Opera Company, which included her first appearance as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Libero completed her graduate training at University of Michigan and baccalaureate work at Northern Arizona University.
Madeleine Snow, assistant stage director
2nd Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Chappaqua, NY
Madeleine Snow is a director and creative collaborator who is passionate about reimagining ways for contemporary audiences to engage with classical music. She has enjoyed directing site-specific performances and collaborating with composers including Ricky Ian Gordon and Ben Moore. She directed the World Premiere of Joshua Hershfield’s critically acclaimed rock musical Rise and won second place of the 2023 American Prize in Directing for her inventive production of La Calisto with Eastman Opera Theatre. A 2024 Festival Artist at Central City Opera, Snow has recently worked as a director at PAC NYC, Palm Beach Opera, Boulder Opera, Loveland Opera Theatre, Rochester Philharmonic, Boston Youth Symphony, and Harvard College Opera.
Yichen Xue, baritone
2nd Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Anshan, China
Yichen Xue is a baritone from Anshan, China. In 2023, he was the recipient of Opera Index Competition’s Emerging Artist Award and, subsequently in 2024, received a Career Bridges grant. Xue was also a 2024 finalist and grant winner in the renowned Gerda Lissner Competition. Xue graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and received his Master’s degree from Hunter College, where he was a student of Ron Raines. In summer of 2024, he joins Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist, followed by a residency with Arizona Opera as a Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artist where he will make his company debut as Schaunard in La Bohème.
Wan-Ting Yu, Pianist
1st Year Studio Artist
Hometown: Taiwan
Wan-Ting Yu, born in Taiwan, is an accomplished collaborative pianist and double bassist whose versatile artistry spans chamber, orchestral, and operatic performance. She holds degrees in piano and double bass performance from National Taiwan Normal University and Taipei National University of the Arts and is currently a doctorate candidate in Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University. Yu has performed internationally across Europe, Asia, and the Americas and has collaborated with prestigious festivals such as the Prince Claus Conservatory in the Netherlands, the Arcada Festival in Portugal, and the “Lan Yang” Double Bass Summer Camp in Taiwan. She has also contributed to three CD albums by acclaimed double bassist Catalin Rotaru.
Yu’s passion for opera has led her to serve as a rehearsal pianist for Arizona Opera’s productions of Zorro and Mozart’s The Secret Gardener, as well as Hansel and Gretel and Sanctuary and Storm at Arizona State University. She has also performed as a double bassist with Valley Opera in La Traviata and Carmen. From 2015 to 2020, she was a member of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra and is currently active playing with the Phoenix Symphony and various chamber ensembles throughout Arizona. In 2022, she was featured as a soloist with the Tchaikovsky Conservatory Chamber Orchestra in Moscow and has presented double bass masterclasses at major international festivals including the Biarritz International Bass Academy in France, the “Grzegorz Olkiewicz” International Music Festival in Poland, and the International Double Bass Festival in China. In 2024, she earned a Guinness World Record for participating in the world’s largest double bass ensemble.
If you are passionate about continuing the traditions of opera for the next generation, this is your opportunity!
For more information about supporting this program, or to inquire about sponsoring an apprentice, please contact the Development Department at development@azopera.org.