Yixuan Han, Doctor of Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy, member of National Association of Vocal Teachers (NATS) and Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, soprano singer, and founder of non-profit organization International Association of Music and Arts (IAMA). Dr. Han received her doctorate from the University of North Texas (UNT) College of Music in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy studying under Dr. Stephen F. Austin, one of the world’s foremost vocal pedagogues.
At the University of North Texas, the largest music university in the United States, she was the first soprano contestant to win the concerto competition with a no.1 ranking. This an annual event long dominated by instrumental performers over the one hundred plus year history of the institution.
At the 2019 UNT Concerto Competition, Dr. Han won the competition with her performance of “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” from La rondine (Puccini).
Since her childhood, Dr. Han had an interest in music and begin her studies with her mother, herself a vocal teacher. Later, Dr. Han studied with Dr. Stephen F. Austin, an authority on vocal music teaching in the United States, Dr. Kevin Eckard, an American opera director, Professor Zhou Xiaoyan, a famous Chinese vocal music educator, and Professor Yang Yan, director of the vocal music department of Xinghai Conservatory of Music. Dr. Han taught in Chinese universities for 12 years, and won the honor of National Excellent Instructor five times. Many of her students have won numerous international and domestic vocal competition awards.
Dr. Han has won many international and domestic vocal competition awards, including the 39th Italian Bellini International Vocal Competition, the 9th Golden Bell Competition of China and the 15th Chinese Central Television (CCTV) Youth Vocal Competition of China. Over ten thousand professional vocalists compete in the Golden Bell and CCTV competitions annually. During the live broadcast of the contest on CCTV, Dr. Han performed the piece “Water Dripping from a Rock Opening”, leaving a powerful, lasting impression on the judges and audience.
Dr. Han has performed many times on CCTV and local TV stations, and held well over one hundred solo and student concerts. Roles performed include the heroine Violetta in Verdi’s opera La Traviata, Gilda in Rigoleto; Fioderich in Mozart’s opera The Heart of a Woman, Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Anna in Don Giovanni; Rosalinda in Johann Strauss’ opera Die Fledermaus; Adina in L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti.
At the University of North Texas, Dr. Han solo concert, For That is I, bought the beauty of Chinese artistic songs to an American audience. In particular, the titular song, “For that is I”, dedicated to Dr. Han’s mother, enraptured the audience. The lines “I miss the river of my hometown. And the terrazzo stones singing by the river” captured the deep, moving nostalgia of the piece, and Dr. Han’s powerful voice reverberated in the entire music hall. At the last section of the piece, Dr. Han sung with Messa di voce which is universally considered a very advanced vocal technique, capturing the audiences’ emotions and connecting them with Dr. Han’s own memories. Rapturous applause followed at this most well attended UNT concert. Many audience members noted that “It’s been a long time since a concert has made me this excited and emotional.”