On Saturday May 6, we invite you to a full recital presented by our inaugural scholarship winner, soprano, Nicole Heinen. The Peoria Riverfront Museum has graciously offered their atrium so Opera Illinois League can provide a FREE, and open to the public recital filled with beautiful Opera and art song!

Nicole Heinen, soprano
Grace Trang, pianist

Small reception included!

Nicole Heinen, soprano
Noted for her "golden-voiced" singing (Voix des Arts) and "deft hand at verbal and physical comedy" (The Isthmus), American soprano Nicole Heinen (she/her/hers) has dazzled audiences with her demanding stage presence. Praised by the Journal Sentinel for her “clear, ringing sound and facile technique”, Ms. Heinen is establishing herself as an artist to watch.
In the 2021-22 season, Ms. Heinen sang Henrietta M. (The Mother of Us All) and covered Mukhtar Mai (Thumbprint), Lillian Russell (The Mother of Us All) and Un Pastore (Tosca) at the Chautauqua Opera Company. She also made her debut TV appearance as “Iolanta” in AMC's “Interview with the Vampire'' released Fall 2022. Additionally, Ms. Heinen won 4th Place at the Shreveport Opera’s “Mary Jacob Smith Singer of the Year Competition” and the Wisconsin District for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She has also participated as a finalist in the John Alexander Vocal Competition and a semi-finalist in the Premiere Opera Foundation Competition, Orpheus Vocal Competition and Mary Jacob Smith Singer of the Year Competition.
In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Heinen will be making her role debut with New Orleans Opera as the Dew Fairy in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel under the direction of E. Loren Meeker. She will also make another role debut with Florentine Opera as Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte under the direction of Jill Anna Ponasik.
As a Baumgartner Studio Artist, Ms. Heinen made her debut with the Florentine Opera portraying Miss Frayne and Margaret Hughes (cover) in Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players and Fortuna/Valletto in Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea. Additionally, Nicole performed as a soloist in Florentine Opera’s 85th anniversary gala where she “brought [Juliette’s Waltz] off with beauty and mischief” (Urban Milwaukee). In addition to her significant debut’s with Florentine in the 2018-2019 season, Ms. Heinen won the Wisconsin District as part of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the IAET Award in the Casa Italia Competition.

During the 2017-2018 season Ms. Heinen made both her debut appearances as a summer concert artist in residence with the Florentine Opera and performer at the Ravinia Festival. In addition to her debuts, Nicole was a finalist in the 2017 international Handel Aria Competition in part with the Madison Early Music Festival. Other roles include La Fée (Cendrillon), Mademoiselle Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Atalanta (Serse), Sister Constance (cover, Dialogues of the Carmelites), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring), #1 (Transformations) and Adina (Elixir of Love) while touring with Opera for the Young in their 2016-2017 season.
Ms. Heinen holds a Bachelors in Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Masters in Music from UW-Madison. Her repertoire includes but not limited to Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), La Fée
(Cendrillon), Marie (La Fille du Régiment), Cunegonde (Candide), and Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare)

Grace Trang, pianist
Grace Trang was born and raised in Macau, a former Portuguese colony close to Hong Kong where she was trained musically in the traditions of the Royal Schools of Music of Britain. She holds a Licentiate of Music from the RSM and a Bachelor of Music from Concordia University Chicago. After receiving her Master of Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Western Illinois University, she returned to Hong Kong where she participated in the training of youth orchestras, both Western and Chinese. She is certified in the Kodaly method of teaching, a curriculum used in the Chinese International School of Hong Kong where she taught for four years. She has taught at Illinois Central College since 2007. Her areas of teaching include Applied Piano, Class Piano and Music Appreciation.

Grace is active in the Illinois State Music Teachers Association, currently serving as Senior Competitions Coordinator. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) of MTNA and has served as adjudicator in auditions and competitions at both state and local level. She enjoys accompanying various instrumental and vocal recitals and competitions. She also maintains a private piano studio. Grace and her husband, Tom, reside in Germantown Hills and they have three adult children.