Alanna Parfait, voice & Shiyi Zhu, piano - Rising Stars

Alanna Parfait is a soprano based in North Florida known for her warm and full operatic voice while also being able to execute a variety of vocal genres with excellence. She received vocal training from Dr. Anthony Offerle at the University of Florida where she received her Bachelors in Music Education with a certificate in Vocal Performance. In addition, she also studied under Dr. Kyoung Cho at the University of South Florida where she received her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance. Alanna has been a Qualifier for the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition for the last two seasons and was the only representative from Gainesville at the Florida District competition in 2025. Her other accolades include receiving an honorable mention at the USF Concerto Competition (2024), placing 1st in the Advanced Classical Voice category at the Tampa Bay NATS competition (2024, 2025), and also placing 1st in the Advanced Musical Theatre Voice category at this same competition (2025). Her recent engagements include singing in the chorus of Opera Tampa’s production of Die Zauberflöte by Mozart (2026) and singing in the chorus of St. Petersburg Opera Company’s production of La Bohème by Puccini (2026). She was also a featured artist at the USF Composition in Asia Symposium Performance where she collaborated with Dr. Liliya Ugay to perform part three of Ugay’s opera Chhlong Tonle (2026). She looks forward to working with Opera Tampa once again to perform in the chorus of Tosca by Puccini in 2027.

​Pianist Shiyi Zhu has earned wide acclaim for her artistry. A recent performance of works by Franz Liszt was praised for displaying “dazzling technique and strong musicality” by pianist Wu Han. She showcased her strong passion and talent as the first-prize winner of UF Concerto Competition (2024), Xiamen International Piano Competition (2022), and Liszt International Youth Piano Competition (2019). Her performance venues include Carnegie Hall in New York, Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, and Hongkong Culture Center in China. She was recently invited as guest artist at Benedictine College and became featured artist on the WUFT radio.

Born and raised in Gulangyu Island, acclaimed as the “Island of Music” in China, Ms. Zhu was taught by her grandmother from the age of four. She studied piano performance in Xiamen Music Conservatory and held a master’s degree in piano performance at East China Normal University. Ms. Zhu is currently pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance at the University of Florida School of Music, where she studies with Dr. Evan Mitchell.

Her research explores the intersection of psychology, performance optimization, and piano practice. Her project was selected through a peer-reviewed selection process to be presented at the prestigious 2026 MTNA National Conference. In addition to her duties as a Teaching Assistant at UF, she serves as Secretary for the Gainesville Music Teachers Association.

Join us any Tuesday in February at 12:15 p.m. for a 25-minute concert followed by a $7 lunch.