Young Woo Kim
Young Woo Kim begins Season 2025-26 with performances of Don Jose Carmen at Opera Australia; he returns to his home theater, Oper Köln, for his debut in the roles of des Grieux Manon Lescaut and, later in the season, the title role Ernani. He mades a further debut as Siegfried Götterdämmerung under the baton of Kent Nagano, in his role as Artistic Director of the Ring Project “The Wagner Cycles” of Dresdener Musikfestspiele with Dresdener Festspieleorchester and Concerto Köln. Travelling back to Sydney, the tenor makes another role debut as Calaf Turandot, a role he also takes to Irish National Opera. Mr Kim returns to Oper Hamburg for further performances of Cavaradossi Tosca.
Last season the tenor made his debut at Oper Frankfurt as Radames Aida, a role he also sang at Oper Köln where he is a member of the ensemble. He appeared as Cavaradossi at Opera Australia, Oper Hamburg and at Deutsche Oper am Rhein. Past principal roles at Oper Köln include Cavaradossi, Ismaele Nabucco, Don Jose Carmen, Erik Der fliegende Holländer, Hylas Les Troyens, title role Faust, Siegmund Die Walküre fur jung und alt, and Hoffegut Die Vögel. Recent highlights include his debut as Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos at Garsington Opera.
“The vocal standout is Young Woo Kim as Cavaradossi. Kim soars in a glorious, effortless tenor, with a top register so powerful you can feel the vibrations shimmer in the air around you. He is impressive in Act 3’s showstopper E lucevan le stelle (“And the stars were shining”), but particularly remarkable in Act 1, where his aria Recondita armonia (“Concealed harmony”) opens the opera with golden effect.” Chantal Nguyen, Sydney Morning Herald, 26 June, 2024
“Young Woo Kim’s Cavaradossi is heroic and passionate, his characters’ intensity matching the squillo brilliance and resonance of his vocal performance. He gives a particularly beautiful performance of ‘E lucevan le stelle’. Claira Prider, Theatre Thoughts, 28 June 2024
“Garsington’s real triumph is in the casting…The almost unsingable part of Bacchus often makes the last half hour feel like an endurance test, yet here with tirelessly ringing tone Young Woo Kim proves himself quite a revelation and a new heroic tenor to watch. He has appealing presence, too.” John Allison, The Telegraph, 19 June 2023
“… it was a double triumph for Young Woo Kim. It is fair to say that vibrant presence and ringing tenor voice attracted some of the most enthusiastic applause for the evening as he bookended the vocal component of each half of the program. His voice has a most appealing timbre and he was rock solid on the high notes. Particularly impressive was his passionate account of “Donna non vidi mai” from Manon Lescaut immediately after interval.” Heather Leviston, Classic Melbourne, 26 July, 2024
“Kim is a powerful new voice which will be heard in bigger houses…” Claudia Pritchard, Culture Whisper, 19 June, 2023.
“Young Woo Kim’s Tenor / Bacchus handles an unforgiving part well (Strauss famously did not like tenors and made it clear in his music). His dynamic outbursts once washed up on Naxos send a chill up the spine, piercing the still air in the auditorium.” Grace Richardson, London-Unattached, 19 June, 2023.
No operatic repertoire currently listed.
No concert repertoire currently listed.
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deborah@arbourartists.com