RESIDENT ARTISTS

Originally from Sunnyvale, CA, soprano Stephanie Chee received her Master of Music degree from Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. Recent roles include Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia and Valletto in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Stephanie was awarded an Encouragement Award in the San Francisco District of the 2023 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, an Emerging Talent Award in the 2023 Lotte Lenya Competition, first place in the 2022 Fox Valley Collegiate Voice Competition, second place in the 2022 Upper College Treble Voices Division of the National Student Auditions, and the Farwell Trust Award in the 2022 Musicians Club of Women Voice Competition. This summer, she joined the Manetti-Shrem Opera Program as a Vocal Fellow, covering Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and performing in scenes with the Festival Napa Valley Orchestra.

French American mezzo-soprano Sarah Scofield is a second-year Resident Artist with Utah Opera. She received her Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in the spring of 2023 and was a winner of the Utah District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition this past year. Sarah most recently appeared with Utah Opera as Myrtale (Thaïs) and as The Fox (The Little Prince). She also performed as the mezzo soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Utah Symphony. Her other recent roles include Narciso (Agrippina), Die Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), and Messaggiera (L’Orfeo). Dedicated to accessibility in the arts, Sarah was recently a part of the LYNX Project’s Amplify Series, performing settings of texts by non-speaking autistic youth with the Cincinnati Song Initiative. Sarah also holds credits from Cincinnati Opera Fusion: New Works, Music Academy of the West, and Songfest. When not singing Sarah is likely to be found hiking with her dog Cricket or participating in citizen science initiatives.

Aaron McKone has been deemed a “rising star” and praised for his “ardent tenor”.  He is very excited to join Utah Opera for their 2024-2025 season. 

In past seasons, Aaron was a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, a resident artist with Opera Naples in Florida, and a vocal fellow at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.  He has also performed with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Paris’ Opéra Comique and was a featured soloist with the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, the Lima Symphony in Ohio, and the York County Choral Society.  Some notable roles Aaron has sung are Faust (Faust), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Laërte (Hamlet), Galileo (Galileo Galilei), and Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus). 

Aaron received his bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Winthrop University and his master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Artist Diploma from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Tom Baresel and Stuart Skelton. 

In his free time, Aaron enjoys spoiling his cat, Momo, reading fantasy novels, and playing board games with friends.

American baritone, Rodney Sharp II, from Fort Worth, Texas holds a B.M. from Prairie View A&M University and a M.M. from Arizona State University. Some of Rodney’s favorite roles performed are Peter (Hänsel und Gretel), Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi), and Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress). He’s sang as a soloist in concert works like Mozart’s Requiem, Kodaly’s Missa Brevis, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Praised for his “…deep and robust voice combining strong vocalism and magnetic presence, he is a natural scene stealer.” Rodney is an advocate of classical music by African American composers and strives to present works representing the African American experience. Offstage, you can find Rodney in the kitchen cooking for people close to him or binge watching Rupaul’s Drag Race.

Malaysia-born Jie Fang Goh charts a versatile music career as a pianist, collaborator, and scholar. Since his recent venture into opera and vocal music, Fang received an artist diploma in Opera Coaching from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and wore multiple hats as an opera pianist, orchestral keyboardist, and coach in vocal music programs across the United States and abroad, such as Opera Lucca, Brevard Music Center, Music On Site, Wintergreen Music Festival, Vienna Summer Music Festival, and Miami Music Festival. Sparked by a desire for classical music outreach, he co-founded the LexGoh Piano Duo with Alexander Kostadinov and performed in the United States, Hong Kong, and Malaysia since 2018. His master’s thesis in musicology, Fantasies and Delusions: Billy Joel’s Turn and Return to Classical Music, explores the creative process and artistic expression behind Joel’s only solo piano album. Honored to be the first Malaysian Resident Artist at Utah Opera, Fang is eager to assist the company’s statewide outreach program and mainstage productions through his diverse skills and passions.