Hansu Kim
“As Don José, the hapless corporal who’s Carmen’s latest target of opportunity, Hansu Kim’s mature, fully developed tenor voice provided just the right counterpoint to his feisty love interest. His acting skills proved considerable, as he believably embodied his character’s decline and fall.”
Biography
Tenor Hansu Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He began his musical studies at the Yonsei University School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music with scholarship in 1998.
Following his graduation, he moved to the United States to continue his studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he received a Master of Music with scholarship in 2002. During his studies, he worked under the guidance of the renowned Heldentenor James King.
He further developed his vocal and artistic training through masterclasses with distinguished singers and teachers including Lucine Amara, Francisco Casanova, Lando Bartolini, Claudia Visca, Franco Silvestri, Chris Merritt and Christian Starinieri.
Hansu Kim’s operatic career has included a wide range of leading tenor roles with opera companies and festivals throughout the United States. In 2006, he performed Radamès in Aida and Manrico in Il trovatore with One World Symphony. In 2008, he appeared as Don José in Carmen with Bel Cantanti Opera.
His repertoire also includes Calaf in Turandot with the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera in 2010, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Harmonia Opera at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in 2011, and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana with Opera Camerata of Washington in 2012.
His concert activity has been equally significant. He has appeared three times at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium, performing with MidAmerica Productions and the New Jersey Philharmonic in 2005, 2007 and 2009.
His oratorio repertoire includes Schubert’s Mass in G Major and Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli. He has also been invited to perform at prestigious gala events, including a 2008 concert for South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and a 2010 performance for New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine.
Hansu Kim has further refined his artistry as a resident artist with Utah Festival Opera, Dicapo Opera and Pacific Encore Performances.
His vocal development has also been supported through coaching with Metropolitan Opera conductors Steven Crawford, Gregory Buchalter and Louis Salemno, as well as with Claudia Visca, Marcin Kozieł and Joëlle Bouffa of the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW) – Institut für Gesang und Musiktheater in Vienna.
Alongside his performing career, Hansu Kim is active as a teacher and currently serves as Voice Professor at the School of Music of Seoul Theological University in South Korea.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards and distinctions in international music competitions.
AWARDS
1st Prize
The New York Classical Music Competition 2025, New York, USA
1st Prize
The London Classical Music Competition 2025, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The New York International Music Competition 2025, New York, USA
1st Prize
The Medici International Music Competition 2025, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The American International Music Competition 2025, New York, USA
1st Prize
The International Schubert Competition Vienna 2025, Vienna, Austria
1st Prize
The Claude Debussy Competition Paris 2025, Paris, France
1st Prize
The Amadeus International Music Awards 2025, Vienna, Austria
1st Prize
The Virtuoso International Music Awards 2025, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The American Classical Music Awards 2025, New York, USA
1st Prize
The Vienna International Music Competition 2025, Vienna, Austria
1st Prize
The Birmingham International Music Competition 2024, Birmingham, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The Gold International Classical Music Competition 2024, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The European Virtuoso Music Awards 2024, Berlin, Germany
1st Prize
The Clara Schumann International Competition 2024, Brussels, Belgium
1st Prize
The Arizona International Music Competition 2024, Phoenix, USA
1st Prize
The Swiss International Music Competition 2024, Lugano, Switzerland
1st Prize
The Euterpe International Music Awards 2024, Berlin, Germany
1st Prize
The Gulf Musician International Competition 2024, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
1st Prize
The Servaas International Music Competition 2024, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The Royal Maas International Music Competition 2024, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The World Stage International Music Competition 2024, London, United Kingdom
1st Prize
The Accadia Foundation International Vocal Competition 2010, New York, USA
1st Prize
The Olga Forrai Foundation International Competition 2004, New York, USA
1st Prize
The Dicapo Opera International Vocal Competition 2002, New York, USA
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Voice Teachers
James King, Martina Arroyo, Paul Kiesgan, Carlos Montané, Mark Oswald, Umberto Borso, Fiorella Burato
Vocal Coaches
Louis Salemno, Giampaolo Bracali, Steven Crawford, Gregory Buchalter, Elaine Rinaldi, Katherine Olsen
Masterclasses
Lucine Amara, Francisco Casanova, Lando Bartolini, Claudia Visca, Franco Silvestri, Christian Starinieri, Chris Merritt
Resident Artist
Utah Festival Opera, Logan, Utah
Dicapo Opera, New York, NY
Pacific Encore Performances, New York, NY
Master of Music
Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington
Scholarship recipient
Bachelor of Music
School of Music, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Scholarship recipient
TEACHING
Voice Professor
School of Music, Seoul Theological University, South Korea
Press
As Don José, the hapless corporal who’s Carmen’s latest target of opportunity, Hansu Kim’s mature, fully developed tenor voice provided just the right counterpoint to his feisty love interest. His acting skills proved considerable, as he believably embodied his character’s decline and fall.
Hansu Kim had a self-centered and contained presence about Don José, which was an important component to the character. He is also extremely musical. He sings with such emotion that when you close your eyes, you feel all the happiness and the pain. And it's not just his voice, which is gorgeous, but he offers such an emotional connection that when he and Carmen sing to each other, it is like they are making love.
With conducting by Metropolitan Opera's Gregory Buchalter, Tenor Hansu Kim performed the role of Turridu in Cavlleria Rusticana with full of ernergy and solemn dignity. His voice sounded like the legendary Dramatic Tenor, Mario del Monaco.
What a glorious dramatic tenor voice! Well done throughout the role of Andrea Chénier. Hansu Kim was not afraid of presenting his glorious and free high notes. Overall, a very professional sound and vocal technique. All of his notes have excellent support, opulence and ping. The quality of sound is so professional that it was difficult to find fault! Again, there were excellent vocal quality, and ease of production. His voice was dramatic, but not over-powered or pushed. I hope Hansu Kim will be enjoying huge successes in the professional operatic field. Certainly, he will be deserved it! Just keep going!!
The spinto-dramatic tenor voice of Hansu Kim was generous. His voice demonstrated very solid technique, with ringing, and well-projected high notes that allowed him to tackle the role of Andrea Chénier. He executed this vocally very demanding role with confidence and energy. His Italian pronunciation was excellent, and he showed mastery of the text, convincingly interpreting the character of Andrea Chénier. Very well done! He is ready for the big stages!!
Repertoire
| Role | Opera | Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Anatol | Vanessa | Samuel Barber |
| Don José | Carmen | George Bizet |
| Andrea Chénier | Andrea Chénier | Umberto Giordano |
| Doctor Faust | Faust | Charles Gounod |
| Canio | Pagliacci | Ruggero Leoncavallo |
| Turiddu | Cavalleria Rusticana | Pietro Mascagni |
| Werther | Werther | Jules Massenet |
| Luigi | Il tabarro | Giacomo Puccini |
| Rodolfo | La Bohème | Giacomo Puccini |
| Pinkerton | Madama Butterfly | Giacomo Puccini |
| Calaf | Turandot | Giacomo Puccini |
| Samson | Samson et Dalila | Charlas Camille Saint-Saens |
| Conte Elemer | Arabella | Richard Strauss |
| Egisto | Elektra | Richard Strauss |
| Lenskij | Evgenij Onegin | Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky |
| Florestan | Fidelio | Ludwig van Beethoven |
| Radames | Aida | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Manrico | Il Trovatore | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Don Alvaro | La forza del destino | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Alfredo Germont | La traviata | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Macduff | Macbeth | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Otello | Otello | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Max | Der Freischütz | Carl Maria von Weber |
| Siegmund | Die Walküre | Richard Wagner |
| Lohengrin | Lohengrin | Richard Wagner |
Media & Video
For information and booking requests
Open contact form