Kwangchul Youn

Worldwide Representation

The Korean bass Kwangchul Youn is widely recognized in the international operatic and concert world. 

In the 2024/25 season, Kwangchul Youn will make a guest appearance as King Marke (Tristan und Isolde) at the San Francisco Opera. At the Opéra de Paris, he will appear as Fasolt in the new production of Das Rheingold. The internationally sought-after singer will return to the Vienna State Opera as Fafner and Hunding in the Ring des Nibelungen. At the Hamburg State Opera, Kwangchul Youn will take on one of his favourite roles, Gurnemanz (Parsifal).

In recent years, the sought-after bass has performed at all renowned opera houses in Europe and overseas, including Vienna, London, Berlin, Milan, Munich, Dresden, Paris, Barcelona, Turin, New York, Chicago and Houston. He has also made guest appearances at the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals, the Salzburg Easter Festival and the Tongyeong Festival. Highlights of recent seasons include Gurnemanz and King Henry in new productions at the Opéra de Paris, Gurnemanz at the Vienna State Opera, Comte des Grieux (Manon) at the MET, Abimélech at the Berlin State Opera in a new production of Samson et Dalila conducted by Daniel Barenboim, Ramfis (Aida) at the Liceu Barcelona and Daland in a new production of The Flying Dutchman as well as the Landgrave (Tannhäuser) at the Hamburg State Opera. He is also a much sought-after interpreter of Sarastro, most recently at the San Francisco Opera.

From 1993 to 2004, Kwangchul Youn was a member of the Berlin State Opera, where he performed many roles from his wide-ranging repertoire. He was awarded the title of "Kammersänger" here in 2018. Wagner and Verdi form the centre of Kwangchul Youn's repertoire. Gurnemanz, King Henry, Marke, Daland and Pogner stand alongside Rocco, Filippo, Fiesco, Ferrando, Banco and Ramfis.

In recent years, Mr. Youn has been in demand at all the major opera houses across Europe and overseas, such as Vienna, London, Berlin, Milan, Munich, Dresden, Paris, Barcelona, Torino, New York and Chicago. He also appeared at the festivals in Bayreuth and Salzburg.

Alongside his opera engagements Mr. Youn also performs frequently in concert with well-known orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Symphoniker, the Radio Symphonie Orchester Berlin, the Accademia Santa Cecilia Roma, the orchestra of La Scala Milano, the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Köln, the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the RAI Torino and at BBC Proms.

Mr. Youn can be heard on such recordings as the Bayreuth Festival’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, under the baton of Daniel Barenboim (Warner Classics), Croesus with Rene Jacobs (harmonia mundi), Fidelio (Warner Classics), Le nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni and Tiefland under the baton of Bertrand de Billy (Arte Nova), and Daphne with the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and Semyon Bychkov (Decca).

2024/25

(This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by ARSIS Artist Management.)