Opera Legends in Black

Dr. Sheronda McKee, soprano, originally from Phoenix, Arizona has been appearing on stages in both the United States and Europe. Recently she finished her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas under the guidance of Dr. Alfonse Anderson. She is currently performing with Opera Las Vegas and Opera On Tap Las Vegas. Most recent roles performed with UNLV Opera include Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos). She has also performed the title role in Puccini’s "Suor Angelica" for the International Lyric Academy during the Tuscia Opera Festival. In concert and in scenes she has played Violetta (La Traviata), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) and others.

Sheronda has been a featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah as well as Mozart’s Requiem. She has traveled to Viterbo and Tarquinia in Italy with the International Lyric Academy and Graz, with the AIMS Program (American Institute of Musical Studies) where she was an alternate in the 2010 Meistersinger Vocal Competition. Recent awards include the Pasadena Opera Guild Scholarship, the Encouragement Award from MONC (Metropolitan Opera National Council) as well as First place in NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). She most recently appeared with Opera Las Vegas in Opera Legends in Black.

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.

Pianist Katie Leung is a dedicated collaborative artist and chamber musician. A two-time winner of the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition, she joined the faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2015. Previously, she held positions at numerous renowned music and dance institutions in New York City, including Lucy Moses School, Ballet Academy East, Rutgers University, and Manhattan School of Music.

Leung has worked with such artists as flutists Amy Porter, Demarre McGill, and Jasmine Choi, and cellist Raphael Wallfisch, as well as current and past members of major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony. She has been a collaborative pianist at The Banff Centre in Canada, the Castleman Quartet Program, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival.

Leung attended the University of Michigan and Manhattan School of Music. She holds degrees in Piano Performance, Flute Performance, and Collaborative Piano.

Monica McCullough has performed on the operatic stage and has appeared often as a concert and chamber soloist.  In 2018, Monica performed as a guest soloist in Sin City Opera’s Mostly Mozart Concert at The Starbright Theater. In 2016 and 2017, she was the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah at the Big Bear Performing Arts Center and in the Las Vegas Valley.  Her performance credits include appearances with Euterpe Opera, Golden West Opera Theatre (role of Pamina from Mozart’s die Zauberflöte), Nevada Opera Theatre, New West Stage Company, Channel One Television, Bell Flower Symphony, American Youth Orchestra, Moore Park College Theatre (role of Pamina from Mozart’s die Zauberflöte), Huntington Chamber Players,  Peabody Opera Outreach (role of Gertrude from Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel), guest soloist for the Valley Committee for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and guest soloist in the premiere of Andrea Centazzo’s Return to Vukovar.

A member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Monica received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Judith Natalucci. Currently, she is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of Phyllis Bryn-Julson at the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University.

Monica is a Visiting Lecturer of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Director of the Opera Discovery Program at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, founded by world-renowned mezzo-soprano, Dolora Zajick.  She also serves as the Nevada District Governor of the National Association of Singing, Cal-Western Region.

Deseree Whitt is currently an MFA acting Candidate at UNLV. She was recently seen in Little Shop of Horrors, Ring Round the Moon, and The Beaux Stratagem at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. She has been involved in acting since she was 12 years old. Deseree studied at California State University, Fresno. There she earned her B.A in Theater Arts and graduated with Cum Laude honors in 2014. While studying theater in her undergrad, she began teaching theater to elementary aged students. This led her to direct musicals and plays for young children. She began to develop a greater love for education after teaching abroad in Tokyo for a year and a half. After returning stateside, Deseree began teaching first grade where she excelled and became lead first grade teacher during her third year.