Three internationally renowned Korean male opera singers are preparing to make musical history with an unprecedented joint concert that will showcase the often-overlooked beauty and power of low male voices in classical music.
Bass Youn Kwang-chul, 60, bass-baritone Samuel Youn, 54, and baritone Kim Gi-hoon, 33, will share the stage for a rare collaborative performance titled "Sing Low and Sweet" later this month. The concert aims to highlight the richness and depth of lower male vocal ranges in an opera world typically dominated by the higher voices of sopranos and tenors.
The evening's program has been carefully crafted to demonstrate the unique qualities each voice type brings to classical repertoire. The first half will feature beloved arias by classical masters Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner, performed with piano accompaniment. In a particularly innovative segment, each of the three singers will perform different arias of Figaro from Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear how the same character can be interpreted through different vocal lenses.
"The audience will likely realize just how differently the same character can sound depending on the voice type," explained the elder Youn during a press conference held at Museum Hanmi in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. "It will be an opportunity to hear how a bass, bass-baritone, and baritone each interpret the same role – and how the differences in voice color and expression bring new dimensions to the same character."
Youn Kwang-chul brings decades of international experience to the collaboration. Since making his professional debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1993, he has become a fixture at the world's most prestigious opera houses, performing over 150 times at the legendary Bayreuth Festival. His exceptional contributions to opera were formally recognized in 2018 when he received the honorary title of Kammersanger, a distinguished honor reserved for outstanding opera and classical vocalists in German-speaking countries.
Bass-baritone Samuel Youn, who earned the same prestigious Kammersanger title in 2022, has frequently crossed paths with his namesake colleague, particularly during summer seasons at the Bayreuth Festival. Despite sharing identically Romanized surnames, the two singers have different Korean family names and distinct career trajectories.
Samuel Youn's rise to international prominence began after winning the Toti Dal Monte Competition in Italy in 1998, which launched his career as a soloist at the Cologne Opera in Germany. His breakthrough moment came in 2012 when he was selected as a principal performer at the Bayreuth Festival. More recently, in 2022, he was appointed as a professor in the vocal music department at Seoul National University, marking his return to Korea after years of building his career in Europe.
For the youngest member of the trio, baritone Kim Gi-hoon, this collaboration represents both a dream fulfilled and a significant career milestone. The 33-year-old singer, who captured international attention by winning the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2021, has never before shared a stage with bass Youn Kwang-chul.
"For a long time, I dreamed of performing with these two," Kim admitted during the press conference. "I'm still just taking my first steps, so sharing the same stage with these veteran singers feels surreal. But I'll do my best to bring something fresh to the performance."
Kim's credentials extend beyond his BBC victory. In 2019, he achieved remarkable success by earning second prize at both the International Tchaikovsky Competition and Placido Domingo's Operalia, establishing himself as one of the most promising young baritones on the international scene.
The concert's innovative approach extends beyond the vocal performances. "What we're attempting now – a concert featuring three low-voice singers, and in the second half, a performance using only low-pitched instruments like cellos and double basses – is something quite new," Kim explained, highlighting the evening's commitment to exploring the full spectrum of lower musical registers.
For the three artists, this concert represents more than just a single evening of entertainment. They view it as an investment in the future of Korea's classical music scene and a potential model for meaningful artistic collaboration.
"Rather than simply showing the same things we've done elsewhere, I believe we need to keep trying new and diverse approaches here in Korea – especially if we want to create a viable path forward for the next generation of musicians and artists," Samuel Youn emphasized. "I hope that by sharing my own efforts and continuing these challenges alongside others, we can open up new possibilities for artists to thrive."
The realization of "Sing Low and Sweet" required nearly three years of planning, a timeline that highlighted significant structural challenges within Korea's classical music industry. The extended planning period was largely attributed to the lack of long-term scheduling practices common in Korea's classical music venues.
"In Europe, our calendars are booked two or three years in advance," noted Youn Kwang-chul, drawing a stark contrast with Korean practices. "But in Korea, very few venues are able – or willing – to plan that far ahead. Without systemic change, it will remain difficult to stage meaningful collaborations with top artists."
This scheduling challenge reflects broader issues within Korea's classical music infrastructure that the artists hope their collaboration might help address. By demonstrating the value of long-term planning and international-caliber programming, they aim to encourage venues and presenters to adopt more professional planning practices.
The concert will take place at two prestigious venues: the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on August 23, followed by a performance at the Cheongju Arts Center in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province on August 24. These performances will offer Korean audiences a rare opportunity to experience the combined artistry of three singers who have achieved the highest levels of international recognition while maintaining their connection to their Korean heritage.
The collaboration also represents a significant moment for Korean classical music on the global stage, demonstrating the country's ability to produce world-class opera singers capable of commanding attention at the world's most prestigious venues. With their combined experience spanning decades and continents, these three artists are positioned to inspire a new generation of Korean classical musicians while elevating the profile of Korean talent in the international opera world.
