ARTISTS CORNER: Tenor Hak Soo Kim

Tenor Hak Soo Kim

Korean-American tenor Hak Soo Kim returns to Sarasota Opera this season as The Count Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Last season, Mr. Kim won critical acclaim for his virtuosic performances of both the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto as well as Edoardo di Sanval in the 2013 winter production of A King for a Day (Un giorno di regno).  Mr. Kim's other recent appearances include Los Angeles Opera, Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro, Italy, Opera New Jersey as well as in concert with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Continue reading to learn what has kept Mr. Kim returning to Sarasota for four productions as well as what specialty hobby he practices in between performances.    

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you base yourself out of today?
A. I am originally from Seoul, Korea.  I came to the U.S., when I was 17 years old to become a diplomat. Now, I base myself in New York City, where I have a fabulous support system of friends, mentors and teachers.

Mr. Kim as Gastone in La traviata at Los Angeles Opera

Q. Why Opera?  What drew you to become a singer?
A. I love singing, simply because it makes me feel great.  Opera is so multi-faceted that, no matter how much I study, it still remains mysteriously challenging.  In other words, I can never get bored.  Besides, I always ended up getting back to singing, no matter how much I tried to venture into other career paths--in college I majored in German and Economics and was on the verge of becoming an investment banker, and recently, I worked as a captain and sommelier at a restaurant with two Michelin star rating in New York City.  In the end, though, nothing else makes me happier but singing on stage!

Q. What singing did you do as a teenager?
A. I sang at the school musicals for all four years in high school.  Fortunately, the private boarding school that I attended, Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH, had a great theater program, and I was able to fully take advantage of the resources.  I sang Frederic in Pirates of Penzance, Billy Lawlor in 42nd St, Nanki-Poo in Mikado and John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Mr. Kim as the Duke of Mantua in
Rigoletto at Sarasota Opera

A. Your past three operas with Sarasota Opera have all been role debuts, correct?  Is it nice to sing a role you have already done somewhere else?
Q. Yes, "Repetition is the mother of perfection."  As long as I keep my standard high, there is always room for improvement, and the best and the simplest way to improve oneself is through repetition.  Besides, even though this is my fourth production of The Barber of Seville, I feel that my journey is different every time. We are using a different edition of the score, Maestro Cormio takes different tempos from other conductors I have worked with, and the cast has different chemistry.  It definitely is an exciting process to mold my previous experiences into what we have here in Sarasota.

Q. What are you looking forward to most about performing the role of Count Almaviva in this season’s production of The Barber of Seville?
A. I am excited about bringing my own vocal interpretation of the role.  Maestro Cormio and I are working particularly on bringing more lyric legato lines and unifying them into Italian poetry with more directional rhymes, instead of fast, jumpy and light singing.

Mr. Kim as Ernesto in Don Pasquale at Opera Colorado

Q. What is your process for preparing a role for performance?
A. First, I start by finding and reading the original literature.  Secondly, I move to the poetry of the libretto with focus on rhymes and accents.  Then, I focus on designing how I am going to sing the role.  Because every role has its unique challenges, I need to figure out how I am going to move my voice through those passages.  During rehearsals, I concentrate on how I am going to pace myself, singing and acting.  The Barber of Seville especially needs this game plan, since the role of Count Almaviva is such a marathon role vocally.

Q. What do you want the audience to know about your character?  What do you find most challenging about this role?
A. Count Almaviva is unfortunately not that smart in this opera.  His eagerness to find his true love dictates his behavior.  He is looking for someone to love him for who he is, not what he is.  Therefore, he does not want to reveal his true identity.

This role is extremely difficult, because of its sheer length.  I open the opera with an aria and close the opera with one of the toughest arias for tenors.  Throughout the performance, I disguise as a student, drunk soldier, music teacher and come back as a count, which means that I am constantly changing costumes and wigs, even when I am not on stage.  I never get to rest during the entire performance, and that is just exhausting. The role of Count Almaviva calls for a lot of athleticism.

Mr. Kim as Matteo in Strauss' Arabella at Santa Fe Opera

Q. As I mentioned before, this will be your fourth opera with Sarasota Opera.  You must enjoy singing here. What do you think makes Sarasota Opera so special that people return season after season?
A. The support system here is incredible--music staff and administrators are always there to help me in any means possible.  In addition, there is a wonderful group of patrons, ushers, and supporters whom I have gotten to know better since my debut season in 2010.  It just has been a great experience to be working in this company.

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?
A. Fortunately and unfortunately, I really do not have any bizarre episode during rehearsals or performances.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms? 
A. My pre-performance preparation starts from the day before the performance.  I go on vocal rest to make sure my voice is fresh for the day of the show.  Then, on the very day, I just make sure that my body is fully awake and has a good rate of metabolism--I eat and exercise.  I also make sure that I am very well hydrated before the performance, because I know for sure that I will be sweating a lot out there.

Mr. Kim as Edoardo di Sanval and soprano
Danielle Walker as Giuletta in Verdi's A King for a Day 

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. Last July, I passed three-day long exams to be a certified sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers. So, I definitely enjoy wine to relax between performances.  Like opera, wine requires a life-long study. Whenever I grow weary of a musical journey, I pick up a wine book and a glass of wine, and my soul gets recharged.

I also enjoy bike-riding, golfing, scuba diving and skiing, depending on the season and where I am.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook?  Twitter?
A. Last December I deactivated my Facebook account because I felt that I was getting too distracted.  I wanted to use my time more wisely.  Then, I received so many messages from my friends all over the world to open it back up, as they wanted to be updated on where I am and what journey I am taking whether it is on wine, restaurant or opera.  So, I crawled my way back to the Facebook empire.

Don't miss your chance to hear Mr. Kim's dazzling vocalism as Count Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville now through March 21st.  Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.

ARTISTS CORNER: Tenor Hak Soo Kim

ARTISTS CORNER:  This season, tenor Hak Soo Kim, last seen as Prince Ramiro in the fall 2010 production of La Cenerentola, makes two role debuts with Sarasota Opera.  The first will be in this falls production of Verdi's Rigoletto and the second will be during the Winter season in the role of Edoardo in Verdi's rarely seen A King for a Day.

We asked Mr. Kim to answer a few questions about life as a singer, preparing for his first Verdi roles and just how he came to singing in the first place.   



Tenor Hak Soo Kim

Q.  What drew you to become a singer? Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A.  When I was a senior in college, I met a wonderful professor from Germany, who taught Political Science but was also an avid opera fan. One evening at dinner, he asked me what my plans were upon graduation. I mumbled, "Maybe a banker?!"  He told me that I might regret not having the courage to pursue what I truly enjoy, especially when I am born with such a talent.  I thought about it and realized that he was right.  After all, my life's goal is to have no regrets.

Q.  You are singing both The Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto) and Edoardo (A King for a Day) this season.  What are you looking forward to most about performing these particular roles?

A.  Above all, this is my debut in a Verdi role, and I am just excited to be singing two different Verdi characters this season at Sarasota Opera.  Verdi was highly meticulous in his design and was quite specific about what he wants in his operas.  So, my goal as an artist is to do everything that he has asked for.  Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and Verdi's Rigoletto are two of my favorite operas, and I am just excited to be offered the opportunity to be part of Verdi's masterpiece.

Q.  Is there something unique about your process for preparing for a role for performance?

A.  I do research on the operas I am singing as thoroughly as I can in great detail.  When I was gathering information on Rigoletto himself, I learned about microcephaly and ended up watching a clip of Schlitzie (an American sideshow performer born with microcephaly) in the movie "Freaks" released in 1932.  Seeing an actual person with microcephaly totally changed the way I would look at Rigoletto and how I would speak to him.

Q.  What do you want the audience to know about your character? What do you find most challenging about this role?

A.  I have always sung a lot of Bel Canto repertoire where I play the sweet lover.  Both Don Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola and Conte Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia step out of their high social status to find someone who will love them for who they are, NOT for what they are.  The hedonistic Duke, on the other hand, exploits anything and everything he has in pursuit of a woman without a stint of conscience.  He is indeed the iniquitous one, "iniquo".  As much as I am a tenor, I am definitely not a womanizer, and it will be great fun to infuse my personality with the evil one.



Hak Soo Kim singing the famous tenor
aria "La donna e mobile" in rehearsal.



Q.  Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal? During a performance?

A.  Once, the waist stitching of my pants broke on stage.  So I had to sing my aria, with 4 high Cs, standing still with my legs slightly twisted so the pants would not go down in front of the audience.

Q.  Do you have any pre-performance rituals? Performance superstitions? Good luck charms? If yes, why?

A.  I try to sleep as much as I can so that my voice is well rested. In addition, I normally take a vocal rest a day before the performance.  I like having a full hearty meal a couple of hours before my call-time at the theater to have enough of a source of energy.  If I have a matinee performance, I work out lightly in the morning to make sure that my body is fully awake and running.

Q.  How do you relax in between performances? What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A.  Between performances, I tend to be very careful about maintaining my physical well-being.  So, I try not to get sick.  I do not go to places where there are lots of people like a movie theater or a mall.  At home, I read, watch a movie or prepare myself for the next project.  I also enjoy learning about wine and food.  I particularly love Champagne and Sushi.  Outdoors, I like golfing and scuba-diving.

"On the road", however, I like driving around and riding a bicycle!

Q.  How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”? Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook? Twitter?

A.  I exchange text messages and use Skype with my family.  I also enjoy Facebook, although I try not to spend too much time on it.  I would love to start my own blog but I am afraid to take on additional responsibility when I actually have readers. Besides, I would talk about so many random things, and I have no idea how I would keep my blog organized and well-maintained.  For now, I am happy with my journals.  Perhaps, I will just publish them in print someday.



Mezzo soprano Heather Johnson and tenor Hak Soo Kim in the
fall 2010 production of Rossini's La Cenerentola.

Q.  Are there towns or cities that you have a strong connection with whether from growing up or attending school?

A.  New York has always been a special place for me.  I moved to NYC after spending school years in the Midwest.  No matter where my destiny took me, I just kept coming back to NYC.  I love the four distinct seasons in New York City, and more than anything else, I like the momentum of hardworking people.  I worked as a salesman in a luxury luggage company in Rockefeller Center and as a captain of a couple fine dining restaurants in TriBeCa.  I learned so many lessons from wonderful people and they continued to push me to be better in many facets of life.  I am proud to be a hardworking New Yorker who can blend in with folks coming home at 3am after a long day of work.

Q.  Are there any charities you are passionate about or donate your time?

A.  I grew up right across the street from a special school for the hearing impaired. It is quite ironic that I sing opera now. My parents in Korea spend their weekends at a care facility for deserted disabled children. One day, I hope to join my parents in one of their projects, giving those children their share of chances that they deserve.

You can see Mr. Kim on stage in one of the most famous roles for tenor in this season's fall production running October 26th through November 12th.  Tickets are available online at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling the Sarasota Opera Box Office at (941) 328-1300.

RIGOLETTO: Behind The Scenes

The singers have arrived and rehearsals for Sarasota Opera's fall production of Verdi's RIGOLETTO are in full swing.  We thought you would enjoy a little sneak peek behind the scenes.  Here are some photos taken in rehearsal this week. 



Baritone Marco Nistico will make his role debut as Rigoletto this season. 



Greek Soprano Eleni Calenos will make her Sarasota Opera debut as Rigoletto's faithful daughter, Gilda. 



 

Stage director, Stephanie Sundine, works with Marco on staging.

  

Mezzo soprano Heather Johnson has returned to Sarasota Opera to sing the role of the seductive Maddalena. 
Tenor Hak Soo Kim also has returned to sing the role of the licentious Duke of Mantua. 

 

 

Hak Soo Kim singing through the bravura aria "La donna e mobile".

 

Working on the famous Act III Quartet. 

  

Gilda and Rigoletto reacting to what they see happening inside the house.




Maddalena and The Duke

  

The final offense that pushes Rigoletto to crave revenge. 

There will be 6 performances of RIGOLETTO opening October 26th and running through November 12th.  Don't miss our cast of stellar artists as they bring Verdi's characters and music to life on stage.  For more information and tickets, go to www.sarasotaopera.org or call the box office at (941) 328-1300.