▲ Tenor Kyungho Kim Cape Town concert poster

Kyungho Kim, one of the rising stars in Europe's opera scene, successfully completed his first tour in South Africa this August. 

▲ Kim receiving a standing ovation at the Johannesburg Gala Concert

In 2011, Kyungho Kim made his debut onto the European opera stage, becoming the first Korean member of the International Opera Studio at the prestigious Staatsoper Berlin (Berlin State Opera), where the legendary Daniel Barenboim served as a judge.

Kim joined another esteemed European opera company Oper Leipzig (Leipzig Opera) between 2017 and 2019, while performing on other major European stages in Dresden (Semperoper Dresden), Berlin (Staatsoper Berlin), Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dortmund, Nuremberg, Freiburg, and Darmstadt in Germany, where he pursued his studies at the Berlin Universität der Künste. He has performed in various European countries, including Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, and Slovakia, among many others. Kim also wowed spectators in opera gala concerts in Hamburg, Berlin, Salzburg, Saint Petersburg, and Moscow where he performed at the acclaimed Bolshoi Theatre. In 2016, his recording was released by the leading classical music label, Naxos Records.

▲ Johannesburg Gala Concert

On his South African tour, Kim performed alongside the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra in Johannesburg, and gave a recital in Cape Town, where he was accompanied by British conductor/pianist and the director of Opera UCT (University of Cape Town), Jeremy Silver—the Cape Town recital programme featured his native Korean art songs. Additionally, Kim has been invited to lead a masterclass to singers from Cape Town Opera Judith Neilson Young Artists Programme.

▲ Cape Town Recital

The tour was organized by the Korean Cultural Centre in South Africa (KCCSA) in partnership with Artmusic.tv, Opera UCT, and Cape Town Opera. This initiative aimed to introduce Korean culture to South Africa by presenting diverse artists from South Korea, fostering cultural connections between the two nations. Previously, in June, award-winning pianist Park Yeon-Min was invited by the Centre for the first time as a Korean artist, giving a national tour of South Africa.

▲ Kim giving a masterclass at the Cape Town Opera Judith Neilson Young Artists Programme

The KCCSA intends to continue presenting various Korean artists from different fields to the South African audience. Recently, on 1 August, the Centre launched a new exhibition featuring South Korea’s national woodcut artist, Lee Chul Soo under the title of ‘Ink & Wood.’ 

For more details on the ongoing and future events of the Centre, visit our website at https://sa.korean-culture.org/en.