Dr. Jinni Shen
Voice Faculty; Classical & Musical Theater
Jinni Shen, a soprano from Nanjing, China, began her musical journey at the age of five. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from China Conservatory of Music. in 2018 before moving to New York City to complete her Master’s degree in Voice at the Mannes School of Music. During her graduate studies, she participated in the International Vocal Arts Institute, Savannah Voice Festival, and served as a studio artist with Pittsburgh Festival Opera.
In 2024, Dr. Shen earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin and began the Artist Diploma program at the Butler Opera Center the same year. From 2022 to 2026, she performed a wide range of principal roles with the Butler Opera Center, including Giorgetta and Suor Angelica in Il trittico, Rosina in The Ghosts of Versailles, Lisa in The Queen of Spades, Musetta in La Bohème, Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, “Ma” Zegner in Proving Up, and Micaëla in Carmen. She also appeared as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with FAVA Opera and completed an apprenticeship with the OPERA San Antonio Young Artist Program.
Dr. Shen is a co-founder of The Rêverie Project, a local artist initiative based in Austin, Texas. She won the first price of the American International Music Competition, Classic Voice Division. she was the winner of the 2026 Butler School of Music Concerto Competition winner, the finalist with honorable mention in the 2025 NATS Artist Award Texoma Region, and is a member of the Opera for Peace 2025 US Academy. Her upcoming engagements includes Liu in Turandot with Winter Opera St. Louis and the Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition 2026.