06/16/2026
🎶 A Celebration, A Farewell, and a Look Ahead! ❤️
What an unforgettable afternoon! With standing ovations, heartfelt stories, plenty of laughter, and excitement for the future, friends, family, patrons, faculty, and supporters gathered at UNLV’s Doc Rando Recital Hall for Opera Las Vegas’ very first Studio Artist Farewell Recital.
On Sunday, we celebrated two extraordinary artists—soprano Claudia Affan and baritone Aaron Oberlander—as they concluded their time in the OLV/UNLV Studio Artist Program. The afternoon was filled with beautiful music, reflections on a remarkable season, and well-deserved recognition of Claudia and Aaron’s incredible contributions. Their talent, professionalism, and dedication have left a lasting impact on Opera Las Vegas, and we are so grateful for everything they have brought to our stage and community.
We were also honored to recognize the people who help make this program possible. Special thanks to our Studio Artist Program sponsors, Chris and Anita Murray, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Lister, and our valued partners at UNLV for their continued support.
To everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special—thank you! Your support means the world to us.
As we celebrate Claudia and Aaron and wish them success in their next adventures, we are also thrilled to welcome next season’s Studio Artists: baritone Isaac Herrera and soprano Nina Mutalifu! 👏✨
And while this farewell marks the end of an incredible chapter, our season isn’t quite over yet...
✨ Stay tuned—there’s still one more surprise before our 2025/26 season comes to a close! ✨
📸 Chase Gutierrez