Auction of Arias

Internationally acclaimed for his compelling portrayals of signature baritone roles, Jeff Mattsey made his operatic debut at just 21, singing Marcello in La Bohème opposite Luciano Pavarotti with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He went on to make his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1998 and has since returned regularly to its stage.

A sought-after performer across North America, Mattsey has appeared with leading companies such as Vancouver Opera, Opera Idaho, and San Diego Opera. Of one standout performance, the San Diego Tribune praised:

“Baritone Jeff Mattsey was an extraordinary Marcello: extraordinary because he created a character so rich and textured with so little apparent effort – and sang the role with such an outpouring of warm, burnished sound…”

In addition to his operatic acclaim, Mattsey also made a memorable appearance on The Real Housewives of New York City, performing an excerpt from The Barber of Seville at a charity event—bringing opera into the pop culture spotlight with style and flair.

Opera Las Vegas audiences may remember Jeff from his company debut in 2012, when he took on the title role in Don Giovanni. We’re thrilled to welcome him back for our debut fundraising event, Auction of Arias.

Claudia Affan is an emerging soprano residing in Las Vegas. She holds her BM in vocal performance from Auburn University, where she studied with Dr. Matthew Hoch. She has an MM from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she continues her studies. Affan was a studio artist with Opera Las Vegas for their 2024-2025 season, and is pleased to return this season. Her operatic roles include Jenny Slade in Robert Ward’sRoman Fever, Sam in Emily Clements’sLetters to Lily, The Daughter in Michael Torke’sStrawberry Fields, Kitty Hart inDead Man Walking, Clorinda inLa Cenerentola, and Berta inIl barbiere di Siviglia. Her concert work includes Handel’sMessiah and Mozart’sRegina coeli, K. 108. Affan has received awards at the state, regional, and national level from NATS, the Vann Vocal Institute, MTNA, and Alabama Federation of Music Clubs. She studies voice with Dr. Linda Lister.

Aaron Oberlander is a baritone who received his Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance with a focus in Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Recently he has performed works with Moores Opera Center, Mercury Early Music Chamber Ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, and Operativo Houston. Currently he plans to continue his graduate work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive his Master of Music. Mr. Oberlander believes strongly in a personal connection to music and maintains that the art form should remain as free and unhindered as possible while still remaining fun for all ages. He has taught voices of all ages since 2018 in operatic, choral, musical theater, and more casual genres.

Christian Shelton, Tenor is a student at UNLV. He is currently a senior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he is majoring in Vocal Performance and studies with voice teacher Dr. Alfonse Anderson. He won 1st place at the National Classical Singer competition 2023 in the Classical University Divison. Christian also won 1st place for local NATS in 2023. He gained international attention with his powerhouse rendition of Andra Day’s "Rise Up" for the Indeed 2021 Super Bowl commercial. He has garnered the praise of many celebrities including, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Jennifer Hudson.