Celena Shafer

About

Celena Shafer is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Utah School of Music. She is a soprano who launched her professional career following apprenticeships at Santa Fe Opera. Ms. Shafer has performed with major orchestras across the United States, including those in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles under renowned conductors such as Christoph von Dohnanyi and Michael Tilson Thomas. Her diverse operatic repertoire spans roles in works by Mozart, Strauss, and Verdi, with extensive collaborations with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. The New York Times praised her debut performance, noting she sang the Oriental princess Ismene with flair, vocal balance and great cadenzas. She has performed concert works including Brahms's German Requiem and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 across major venues. In addition to her teaching position at the University of Utah, she teaches piano and voice to young people in her community, sharing her passion for classical music and vocal excellence with the next generation of musicians.

Education & Qualifications

MM from University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, BA from University of Utah

Teaching Styles