Born in in the small town of Piet Retief, South African soprano Pretty Yende has risen to the top of the opera world with unparalleled speed. With her magnetic charm, acclaimed operatic and solo performances worldwide, and a critically lauded discography, Yende has quickly become one of the brightest stars of the classical music world. Since making her professional operatic debut at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga as Micaela in Carmen, she has been seen at nearly all of the major theaters of the world, including the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opernhaus Zürich and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Vienna Staatsoper as well as many major concert venues. Notably, Yende performed during the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in 2023. She became the first African solo artist to perform at the coronation of a British monarch. She sang “Sacred Fire,” a piece written by composer Sarah Class specifically for the occasion, followed by Handel’s “Oh, had I Jubal’s lyre” from Joshua and “Care selve” from Atalanta.

Winner of the 2022 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, New York-born and Connecticut-raised Chelsea Guo is equally acclaimed as a pianist and soprano. A recent graduate of The Juilliard School, she has quickly established an international presence with performances across North America, Europe and Asia. She has appeared at Italy’s Fazioli Piano Festival, Spain’s Sociedad Filarmónica de A Coruña, Germany’s Moritzburg Festival, and in leading venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall. At San Diego’s 2023 Mainly Mozart Festival, she drew praise for her versatility, appearing as soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 under Michael Francis and, two nights later, as pianist in Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. She has also performed with such orchestras as the New Jersey Symphony and Fort Worth Symphony, collaborating with conductors including Barry Douglas, Xian Zhang, Michael Stern and Michael Francis. Since her historic YCA win—the first artist honored as both pianist and vocalist—Chelsea has made recital debuts at New York’s Merkin Hall and Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center. Recent highlights include the gala opening of The Florida Orchestra, a duo recital with baritone Joseph Parrish at Kansas City’s Harriman-Jewell Series and Handel’s Messiah with the Richmond Symphony.