Celena Shafer

Celena Shafer is an American soprano of distiction, born ca. 1975 in Centerville, Utah.

Originally learning to play piano, she turned her passion toward singing and at age 17 she won a vocal competition at the Utah State Fair, then being selected to sing with Utah Symphony orchestra in the "Salute to Youth" concert.

After graduating from Viewmont High School, she enrolled into the University of Utah where she continued her vocal study (at the same time intensively studying languages: Italian, French, German), receiving her graduation, and later graduating from Santa Fe Opera apprentice program, developing further her coloratura skills in roles as Marie ("La fille du régiment" and Gilda ("Rigoletto").

In 1999 she won MONC (Metropolitan Opera National Council of Auditions), Utah district (in 2006 she even served within it as one of judges in choosing other future talents). She is also the recipient of a 2000 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation.

After her internationally acclaimed performance in Mozart's "Mitridate, re di Ponto", singing the Oriental princess Ismene tole, with the Santa Fe Opera in the summer of 2001, she was recipient of 2002 ARIA award (Awards Recognizing Individual Artistry), an honor given annually by the Thomas Foundation. The same year she sang the role of Aithra in the New York concert performance of Strauss' Die ägyptische Helena (side to Deborah Voigt in the title role), performance which was later released in CD recording.

During 2004/2005 season she has her New York Philharmonic debut in performance of Handel's "Messiah" and has that season many other engagements with other symphony orchestra in the US, and her debut recital in the Far East (Tokyo).

In April 2005 she sang the title role of "Esclarmonde" at the Washington Concert Opera.

Her other roles sang in various places in America and around the world, include: Tytania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Nanetta in "Falstaff", Hero in Berlioz’s "Beatrice and Benedict", Zerbinetta in a concert performance of "Ariadne auf Naxos", Blonde in "The Abduction from the Seraglio", Adele in "Die Fledermaus", and even participated in the Broadway's performance of "Show Boat".

References

* [http://www.fanfaire.com/aria/shafer.html Celena Shafer - soprano]
* [http://www.alumni.utah.edu/continuum/fall03/notes.htm "Continuum" article on Celena Shafer]
* [http://www.colbertartists.com/ArtistBio.asp?ID=45 Biography on Celena Shafer at "Colbert Artists Management Inc."]
* [http://nyphil.org/attend/guests/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=833&seasonNum=7 New York Philharmonic and Celena Shafer]