While some people tend to shy away from the spotlight, Stephanie Chee is certainly not one of them. Singer, thespian, pianist, and dancer, this Wilcox sophomore began her artistic career even before preschool, participating in her first musical theatre production at the age of one. This holiday break, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, as a reward for winning first place in her division at the American Protégé’s international classical vocal competition.

Chee’s mother enrolled her at The Music School and a Mommy and Me music class at one year old; together the two played games, learned, and developed a passion for music, She developed her singing and learned basic music theory before becoming involved in the program’s summer and spring productions. Chee performed for the first time at the age of five through The Music School , continuing until middle school. At Peterson Middle School, she performed in “Annie,” and “Honk!” at the Sunnyvale Community Players. Chee went on to play roles at Roberta Jones Junior Theatre, Peninsula Youth Theatre (PYT) in Mountain View, and the Wilcox Stage Company.

While Chee has developed her voice through musical theatre, she also spends much of her spare time participating in singing-exclusive activities. However, Chee’s singing career had a slightly delayed start. “You can’t be in operas or do that much with classical when you’re younger because of the voice’s need for age to develop,” explains Chee. Luckily, Chee has not been deterred, and spends most of her time singing when she is not at school. Her YouTube chanel, under her name, provides a place for her to share her hard work in a more casual setting, and serves as a wonderful opportunity to practice her skill. In addition, she began competing as her voice matured, placing 4^th in the classical division and earning a spot as a semi-finalist in musical theatre at her first online competition with Hal Leonard. Chee was truly astonished at her success as she prepared for her trip to New York. “I did not expect to place or win any of these competitions,” Chee confesses, attributing most of her success to practice, “I think talent is only a small part of the equation.”

As supplements for her theatre and singing programs, Chee participates in piano and dance programs as well. She has studied at the Judy Wely Piano Studio for eleven years, developing her music theory skills. She also took ballet, tap, and jazz lessons at Vision Dance for three years, but is currently on a break due to injury. And of course, Chee is forced to balance her busy schedule with schoolwork. She typically starts homework as soon as she returns home, writes essays in the car on the way to rehearsal, and completes math problems backstage in the theatre.

Chee has been working hard in anticipation of college admissions in upcoming years, hoping to study Voice/Opera Studies and pursue a career related to music. She looks up to singers and musical artists such as Kathleen Battle, Julie Andrews, Laura Osnes, and Kelli O’Hara, but admires Taylor Swift’s “down-to-earth and quirky” personality. In her free time, Chee prefers to watch classic musicals such as Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, Cinderella, Oklahoma, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera.

Throughout her career, Chee’s mother has supported her by driving her to classes, encouraging her to take voice lessons and participate in more musicals, and recommending that she take dance class and play piano. Chee’s mother promotes any participation in the arts, allowing Chee the freedom to experiment with flute and guitar before finding her true passions. She even observes each of her lessons, giving her praise and constructive criticism, and attends every practice, rehearsal, performance, day in and day out. “I am so thankful for my mom and her continuous love and support,” Chee says, “because I would not be the artist and person I am today without her.” She also has her voice teacher, Amy Heumann, to thank for her consistent support and help to develop her skills from where they were in 6^th grade to where they are today: performing in Carnegie Hall.