Biola University
Korean-born lyric tenor San-ky Kim started his vocal studies in Australia, after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Australian National University. Winning the Australia - New Zealand Foundation Award enabled him to further his studies in the U.S.A., at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music. While completing his Master of Music degree there, San-ky made his professional debut with the Philadelphia Opera Company as the Emperor Altoum in Puccini’s Turandot.
Thereafter, San-ky’s singing career led him to Europe; Helsinki, Biel, Bern, Geneva, Amsterdam, Brussels, Gent, Lisbon, Bregenz, and Prague. As the house “fest-tenor” at the Czech National Theater in Prague, San-ky essayed all of Mozart’s lyric tenor hero roles, as well as Rossini’s bel canto tenor roles. In Germany, San-ky has appeared on numerous opera house stages that include Berlin, München, Mannheim, Nürnberg, Wuppertal, Coburg, Bamberg, Stralsund, Greifswald, and Köln. San-ky’s speciality includes not only the Mozartian and Bel Canto Italian tenor roles, but also modern contemporary operas by such composers as Britten, Henze, and Rihm. San-ky has performed over 40 different operatic lead roles in seven different languages.
San-ky’s repertoire extends well beyond the operatic stages. Oratorio performances have kept him busy every Easter and holiday season. San-ky first performed the Evangelists in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Passions in Sydney Opera House. San-ky has performed all of Schubert’s song cycles. German, French, Italian and Czech artsongs feature frequently in his recitals. San-ky’s Doctor of Musical Arts monograph examined the contemporary developments in the German art song literature, with special emphasis on the works of the composer Wolfgang Rihm. San-ky published the “Anthology of Modern Lithuanian Art Songs” in 2018, facilitated by the Fulbright Foundation and Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.
San-ky has recorded two commercial CD’s for Bonton label, one a program of Benjamin Britten’s songs for voice and harp with harpist Kateřina Englichovà, and the other a selection of favorite opera arias with the Moravian Symphonia. Before arriving at Biola Conservatory of Music and Theatre, San-ky served as Professor of Voice and Opera at TCU..
