阮妙芬教授為亞洲最傑出的歌唱家之一。她畢業於倫敦皇家音樂學院後，即於威爾斯國家歌劇院（Welsh National Opera）首演《蝴蝶夫人》（Madama Butterfly）主角，獲樂評界極高讚譽。此後，她於世界各地重演此招牌角色，包括英國國家歌劇院（English National Opera）、蘇格蘭歌劇院（Scottish Opera）、西澳洲歌劇院（West Australia Opera）、昆士蘭歌劇院（Opera Queensland）、北愛爾蘭歌劇院（Opera Northern Ireland）、新加坡抒情歌劇院（SLO）、曼谷歌劇院（BO）、紐西蘭國際藝術節、巴巴多斯歌劇節，並於 1998 年、2000 年及 2003 年受 Raymond Gubbay Limited 之邀於皇家阿爾伯特音樂廳（Royal Albert Hall）擔綱演出。

其主唱之其他歌劇角色包括：《薛西斯》（Xerxes）之羅米爾達（Romilda）、《茶花女》（La Traviata）之薇奧列塔（Violetta）、《阿依達》（Aida）標題角色、《弄臣》（Rigoletto）之吉爾達（Gilda）、《仲夏夜之夢》（A Midsummer Night’s Dream）之泰坦妮亞（Tytania）、《蝙蝠》（Die Fledermaus）之羅莎琳德（Rosalinda）、《小丑情殺案》（I Pagliacci）之內達（Nedda）、《遊吟詩人》（Il Trovatore）之萊奧諾拉（Leonora）、《托斯卡》（Tosca）標題角色、《黑桃皇后》（The Queen of Spades）之麗莎（Liza）、《波希米亞人》（La Bohème）之咪咪（Mimì）、《馬哈哥尼歌劇》（Mahagonny Songspiel）之珍妮（Jenny）、《卡門》（Carmen）之米開拉（Micaëla）、《魔笛》（Die Zauberflöte）之帕米娜（Pamina）、《唐璜》（Don Giovanni）之唐娜·安娜（Donna Anna）、《杜蘭朵》（Turandot）之柳兒（Liù）、《霍夫曼的故事》（Les Contes D'Hoffmann）之安東尼亞（Antonia）、《泰伊斯》（Thaïs）標題角色，以及《費加洛的婚禮》（Le Nozze di Figaro）之伯爵夫人（Countess）。

作為享負盛名的獨唱家及多才多藝的音樂會藝術家，她常年與各大樂團及合唱團合作。曾與其同台合作的指揮大師包括 Christopher Hogwood、Trevor Pinnock、Richard Armstrong、Carlo Rizzi、Helmuth Rilling 及葉聰等；合作樂團則包括倫敦莫札特演奏樂團（London Mozart Players）、英國廣播公司音樂會樂團（BBC Concert Orchestra）、新加坡交響樂團（SSO）、蒂沃利交響樂團（Tivoli Symphony Orchestra）及上海歌劇院樂團。

阮氏曾於馬來西亞、新加坡及中國多個城市舉辦大師班，並定期受邀擔任國際賽事與音樂節之評審，包括第 59 屆、65 屆及 71 屆香港校際音樂節、由德國不萊梅歌劇院主辦之 Competizione dell’Opera、於曼谷及新加坡舉行之東協聲樂大賽（ASEAN Vocal Competitions），以及近年舉辦之克拉拉·舒曼國際音樂大賽與貝多芬國際音樂大賽。其近期演出包括於曼谷歌劇院《波希米亞人》中飾演咪咪、於新加坡華格納協會製作之《飛行的荷蘭人》（Der Fliegende Holländer）中首演仙達（Senta），並再度重演其經典角色《蝴蝶夫人》與《阿依達》。

阮氏自 2013 年起擔任香港歌劇院藝術委員會委員，自 2010 年起擔任香港藝術發展局評審員及獨立顧問，並於 2018 年至 2024 年期間擔任香港康樂及文化事務署演藝小組委員。2015 年，她獲委任為新加坡抒情歌劇院首位榮譽藝術總監。作為歌劇導演，她曾執導《卡門》、《費加洛的婚禮》、《羅密歐與朱麗葉》（I Capuleti e i Montecchi）、《魔笛》、《唐·帕斯夸萊》（Don Pasquale）、《鄉村騎士》（Cavalleria Rusticana）及《小丑情殺案》。

阮氏於 2003 年至 2010 年 2 月期間擔任新加坡南洋藝術學院聲樂系主任，並自 2010 年 3 月起出任香港演藝學院聲樂系主任。

為表彰她在演出與教學領域的卓越成就，阮氏於 2014 年獲選為倫敦皇家音樂學院院士（ARAM），並於 2018 年獲頒授香港演藝學院教授席。

One of the most outstanding singers from Asia, Nancy Yuen made her debut upon graduation from the Royal Academy of Music, London, with the Welsh National Opera, singing the title role of Madama Butterfly to great critical acclaim. She has since reprised the role all over the world, notably with the English National Opera, Scottish Opera, West Australia Opera, Opera Queensland, Opera Northern Ireland, Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO), Bangkok Opera (BO), the New Zealand International Festival of Arts, the Barbados Opera Festival, at the Royal Albert Hall for Raymond Gubbay Limited in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

Other starring operatic roles include Romilda (Xerxes), Violetta (La Traviata), Aida, Gilda (Rigoletto), Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Leonora (Il Trovatore), Tosca, Liza (The Queen of Spades), Mimi (La Bohème), Jenny (Mahagony Songspiel), Micaela (Carmen), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Liu (Turandot), Antonia (Les Contes D’Hoffmann), Thaiis and Countessa (Le Nozze di Figaro).

A celebrated recitalist and versatile concert artist, she performs regularly with major orchestras and choral societies. Her appearances have included performances with Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, Richard Armstrong, Carlo Rizzi, Helmuth Rilling, Tsung Yeh and orchestras such as the London Mozart Players, BBC Concert Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Tivoli Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Opera Orchestra. 

Nancy has given masterclasses in Malaysia, Singapore and many parts of China. She regularly sits as an adjudicator for international competitions and music festivals, e.g. the 59th, 65th and 71st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival,  Competizione dell’Opera organized by Opera Bremen, Germany and ASEAN Vocal Competitions in Bangkok and Singapore and most recently the International Clara Schumann and Beethoven Competitions. Recent performances included Mimì in “La Bohème” with Bangkok Opera, her role debut as Senta in Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” presented by the Wagner Society in Singapore, reprising her signature role as “Madama Butterfly” and title role in “Aida”.  

She has been a member of the Artistic Committee of Opera Hong Kong since 2013 and an Examiner and Independent Advisor to the Hong Kong Arts Development Council since 2010.  She was a member of the Arts Form Panel of the HK LCSD from 2018 - 2024.  In 2015 she became the first Honorary Artistic Director of the Singapore Lyric Opera.  As an opera director, she has done “Carmen”, “Le Nozze di Figaro”, “I Capuletti e i Montecchi”, “Die Zauberflöte”, “Don Pasquale”, “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci”.

Nancy was the Head of Vocal Studies at Singapore Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts from 2003 to February 2010. She has been the Head of Vocal Studies of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts since March 2010.

In recognition of her achievements as a performer and in education, Nancy was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2014.  In 2018 she was appointed as Professor of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.