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 pursued musical studies at Yonsei University School of Music and earned a Bachelor of Music with scholarship in 1998. Soon after his graduation, he moved to the United States and studied at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music with scholarship in 2002. He studied under the guidance of the renowned Heldentenor James King who was Kammersänger in Vienna, Berlin, and Munich, and the Kennedy Prize winner, Soprano Martina Arroyo and the three-time GRAMMY nominee for Best Opera Recording in 1984, 1993, and 2007, Soprano Carol Vaness. He received further training through Masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Lucine Amara, Francisco Casanova, Lando Bartolini, Claudia Visca, Franco Silvestri, Chris Merritt and Christian Starinieri. Hansu's operational career has seen him performing a wide range of leading tenor roles across prominent opera houses and festivals in the United States. In 2006, he appeared as Radames in Aida and Manrico in Il Trovatore with One World Symphony. He portrayed Don José in Carmen (2008) with Bel Cantanti Opera. His repertoire also includes Calaf in Turandot (New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, 2010), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (Harmonia Opera at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 2011), and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera Camerata of Washington, 2012). His concert engagements have been equally impressive. He has made three appearances at Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium with MidAmerica Productions and the New Jersey Philharmonic (2005, 2007, 2009). His oratorio performances include Schubert's Mass in G Major (2007) and Haydn's Missa in tempore belli (2009). Moreover, he was featured in gala concerts for esteemed audiences, including a 2008 performance for Korean President, Myung-bak Lee and a 2010 concert for New Jersey Governor, Jon Corzine. Hansu Kim honed his craft as an artist with the Utah Festival Opera, Dicapo Opera and Pacific Encore Performances. His vocal development was further supported by coaching from the Metropolitan Opera conductors Steven Crawford, Gregory Buchalter, and Louis Salemno, and professors Claudia Visca, Marcin Kozieł and Joëlle Bouffa of the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW) - Institut für Gesang und Musiktheater in Vienna, Austria, solidifying his place as a sought-after tenor in both operatic and concert settings. Hansu Kim teaches at Seoul Theological University School of Music, Seoul, South Korea as a Voice Professor. Throughout his career, Hansu Kim has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards.
AWARD
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, Pheonix, 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
Voice Teacher James King, Martina Arroyo, Paul Kiesgan, Carlos Montané, Mark Oswald, Umberto Borso, Fiorella Burato
Vocal Coach Louis Salemno, Giampaolo Bracali, Steven Crawford, Gregory Buchalter, Elaine Rinaldi, Katherine Olsen
Master Class: 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 (with scholarship)
Bachelor of Music School of Music, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (with scholarship)
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 |
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