May 6, 2025 • Download →
Est. 1999
Opera Las Vegas is proud to announce soprano Nina Mutalifu and baritone Isaac Herrera as the incoming OLV/UNLV Studio Artists and members of the Murray Opera Studio for the 2026–27 season.
Developed in partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the OLV/UNLV Studio Artist Program is designed to support the next generation of operatic talent through mainstage performance opportunities, mentorship, education, and community engagement throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
Soprano
New York–based Uyghur soprano Nina Mutalifu has been praised by Opera News for her “shimmering lyric soprano voice of fine quality.” Her concert appearances have brought her to prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Kaufman Music Center, and Opera America. She made her Carnegie Hall debut after winning the 2019 Talents of the World International Voice Competition.
Her operatic credits include the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Lisa in The Queen of Spades, and Sieglinde in Die Walküre. Additional repertoire includes Rusalka, Don Giovanni, Carmen, and Die Zauberflöte. She has also participated in the Aspen Music Festival, the Georg Solti Accademia, Opera Fuoco Baroque Music Festival, and the Renata Scotto Opera Program.
Baritone
Mexican baritone Isaac Herrera has been recognized for his rich vocal timbre, commanding stage presence, and emotionally compelling performances. His operatic credits include Lescaut in Manon, Escamillo, Morales, and Le Dancaïre in Carmen, Dr. Rappaccini in Daniel Catán’s Rappaccini’s Daughter, and Rodrigo in the Mexican opera by Melesio Morales.
He has appeared as a soloist with the Orquesta Filarmónica del Desierto in Carmina Burana, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora in Messiah, and with the Orquesta Sinfónica UANL and Orquesta de Sinaloa de las Artes in gala performances. Herrera is a former member of MOS Mexico Opera Studio, the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Opera Workshop (TAOT), and the Taller de Ópera de Sinaloa (TAOS).
As OLV/UNLV Studio Artists and members of the Murray Opera Studio, Nina Mutalifu and Isaac Herrera will perform roles throughout Opera Las Vegas’s 2026–27 season while also participating in the company’s expanding educational and community engagement initiatives across the Las Vegas Valley.
Both artists will continue their studies at UNLV under the instruction of Alfonse Anderson, with Nina pursuing her DMA in Vocal Performance and Isaac pursuing his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance.
Opera Las Vegas is thrilled to welcome these two exceptional artists to the company and to the Murray Opera Studio, and we look forward to sharing their artistry with audiences throughout the upcoming season.
