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Jihoon KIM

Tenor

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Tenor Jihoon Kim is a vocalist who builds a unique musical narrative across various genres, including opera, art songs, and musicals, grounded in his lyrical yet sparkling timbre and powerful vocalization. Growing up in a family of musicians spanning three generations, he established a profound musical foundation early on. After attending the Preparatory School of the Korea National University of Arts, he graduated from the university's Department of Vocal Music. Subsequently, he graduated with highest honors from the Biennio (Master's) program at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, and completed the Opera Studio program at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, solidifying his academic and practical foundation.

 

His musical world is characterized by the fusion of meticulous historical research of Western classical music and Korean sentiments. During his studies in Italy, he demonstrated academic excellence by achieving perfect scores in all his subjects (Music History, Poetics and Dramatic Literature, Chamber Music, etc.), while also fostering cultural exchange by introducing the artistry of Korean art songs in depth to the local community. This background has been vital nourishment for him, enabling him to go beyond simply reproducing sheet music to meticulously reconstructing the historical and literary backgrounds of the works through his vocal language.

 

Kim's stage presence expands widely beyond the framework of traditional opera into contemporary original operas, oratorios, and music dramas. Starting with a solo recital dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the passing of baritone Ettore Bastianini, he has performed leading roles on major opera stages, including the Korean premiere of L'Orfeo with the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, L'elisir d'amore and Die Zauberflöte with the Korea National Opera, and the opening work of the 13th Korea Opera Festival, Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci. Notably, he participated in the world premiere of the oratorio Martyres and numerous world premieres of contemporary Korean art songs. Recently, he proved his exceptional interpretive skills and dramatic immersion in contemporary works by playing the role of 'Baek Yu-jin,' the chairman of the city of Butalsoro, in the opera KALEA - BUTALSORO, a 2024 Arts Council Korea (ARCO) Selection.

 

Also engaging with audiences through major national commemorative stages and broadcasts, such as the KBS Liberation Day and Constitution Day ceremonies and the live broadcast of the Seoul Easter Parade, he has gained international recognition for his capabilities, sweeping the Forbes Korea Premium Brand Award and numerous international competitions. Affectionately known to the public as the "Starlight Tenor" for his uniquely appealing voice, Kim continues to establish his unrivaled musical presence, simultaneously pursuing the popularization of classical music and artistic depth.
 

Tenor Jihoon KIM's OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO Live album, OPUS KLASSIK 2026 for your consideration
Tenor Jihoon KIM's OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO Live album, OPUS KLASSIK 2026 for your consideration

Tenor Jihoon KIM's OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO Live album, OPUS KLASSIK 2026 for your consideration

04:55
Presentazione del Solista: Tenore Jihoon KIM - L'album live OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO 테너 김지훈 부탈소로 앨범 소개

Presentazione del Solista: Tenore Jihoon KIM - L'album live OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO 테너 김지훈 부탈소로 앨범 소개

05:04
(오페라 앨범 소개) 오페라 칼레아 부탈소로 라이브 앨범 소개 - 앨범 솔로 아티스트 테너 김지훈 tenoe jihoon kim opera kalea butalsoro album

(오페라 앨범 소개) 오페라 칼레아 부탈소로 라이브 앨범 소개 - 앨범 솔로 아티스트 테너 김지훈 tenoe jihoon kim opera kalea butalsoro album

04:21
Album-Einführung : visionäre Klangreise OPUS KLASSIK 2026 fyc OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO Live album

Album-Einführung : visionäre Klangreise OPUS KLASSIK 2026 fyc OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO Live album

12:06

Awards & Honors

[Major Awards & Accolades]

Forbes Korea Premium Brand – Grand Prize in Classical Performing Arts (Forbes Korea, JoongAng Ilbo)

KCBI – K-Brand Grand Prize in Classical Performing Arts (Korea Consumer Brand Committee)

World Classical Music Awards – Best Opera Award & Best Opera Video Award

Carl Reinecke International Music Competition – Opera Grand Prize

Max Bruch International Music Competition – Platinum Prize for Best Opera

[International & National Competitions]

1st Prize, Melos International Competition (Italy)

2nd Prize, Note sul mare International Competition (Italy)

2nd Prize, Silver National Competition (Italy)

3rd Prize, S.Francesco di Paola International Competition (Italy)

Excellence Award & Popularity Award, The 2nd CTS International Hymn Competition (Live Broadcast Category)

Selected Works & Performances

[World Premieres & Selected Contemporary Works]

Opera KALEA - BUTALSORO – Role of Chairman 'Baek Yu-jin' (Arts Council Korea ARCO Selection)

Oratorio Martyres – World Premiere

Oboe Sommerso – World Premiere of contemporary art song by Claudio Ferrara (Hosted by Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia)

World Premieres of Contemporary Korean Art Songs – Petals Blowing in the Wind, Her House, Night Love Song, Saying It's Okay,

My Place Jinggemaenggaeng, Night Rain, Mother's Garden, Winter Full Moon, etc.

Major Operas & Musicals

L'Orfeo – Seoul Metropolitan Opera (Korean Premiere)

Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci – Opening work of the 13th Korea Opera Festival

L'elisir d'amore – Korea National Opera STO

Die Zauberflöte – Korea National Opera Regional Tour

Lucia di Lammermoor

La Bohème

Adriana Lecouvreur

Contemporary Operas & Music Dramas – Love, By That One Name, New Kongjwi, Bom Chunhyang, Heo Gyun's Dream: The Story of Hong Gil-dong,

The Legendary Golden Tree, The Legendary Golden Seaweed, Mysterious Time Travel, Cinderella's Sand Story, etc.

Musicals – Hansel and Gretel

Music Drama by National Museum of Korea Foundation – Storytelling Gagok Dabang

Broadcasts & Special Concerts

KBS Liberation Day Special Music Drama

KBS Live Broadcast for the 75th Constitution Day Ceremony

2023 Live Broadcast: Seoul Easter Parade Citizens' Concert at Gwanghwamun Square

Solo Recital Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Baritone Ettore Bastianini's Passing

CTS 'A Very Special Praise'

Tenor Jihoon Kim

KÜNSTLERBIOGRAFIE

Der Tenor Jihoon Kim ist ein Sänger, der mit seinem lyrischen, aber dennoch strahlenden Timbre und seiner kraftvollen Stimmgebung einzigartige musikalische Narrative in verschiedenen Genres wie Oper, Kunstlied und Musical erschafft. Aufgewachsen in einer Musikerfamilie, die bereits in dritter Generation musiziert, erwarb er schon früh eine fundierte musikalische Bildung. Nach dem Besuch der Vorbereitungsschule der Korea National University of Arts absolvierte er dort sein Gesangsstudium. Anschließend schloss er das Biennio-Aufbaustudium (Master) am Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rom, Italien, mit der Höchstpunktzahl ab und absolvierte das Opernstudio der Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, womit er ein solides akademisches und praktisches Fundament legte.

 

Seine musikalische Welt zeichnet sich durch die Verschmelzung gründlicher historischer Recherchen der westlichen klassischen Musik mit koreanischer Emotionalität aus. Während seines Studiums in Italien bewies er akademische Exzellenz, indem er in allen Fächern (Musikgeschichte, Poetik und dramatische Literatur, Kammermusik etc.) die volle Punktzahl erreichte. Gleichzeitig förderte er den kulturellen Austausch, indem er das koreanische Kunstlied (Gagok) mit seiner ganzen Kunstfertigkeit dem dortigen Publikum tiefgehend präsentierte. Dieser Hintergrund befähigt ihn, nicht nur Noten zu reproduzieren, sondern die historischen und literarischen Hintergründe der Werke in seiner vokalen Sprache präzise zu rekonstruieren.

 

Kims Repertoire geht weit über den Rahmen der traditionellen Oper hinaus und erstreckt sich auf zeitgenössische Originalopern, Oratorien und Musikdramen. Beginnend mit einem Solorezital zum 50. Todestag des Baritons Ettore Bastianini übernahm er Hauptrollen auf bedeutenden Opernbühnen, darunter bei der koreanischen Erstaufführung von L'Orfeo durch die Seoul Metropolitan Opera, in L'elisir d'amore und Die Zauberflöte mit der Korea National Opera sowie im Eröffnungswerk des 13. Korea Opera Festival, Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci. Hervorzuheben ist seine Mitwirkung an der Weltpremiere (Uraufführung) des Oratoriums Martyres sowie an zahlreichen Uraufführungen zeitgenössischer koreanischer Kunstlieder. Kürzlich stellte er seine außergewöhnlichen Interpretationsfähigkeiten und seine dramatische Präsenz in zeitgenössischen Werken erneut unter Beweis: In der Oper KALEA - BUTALSORO sang er die Rolle des Vorsitzenden 'Baek Yu-jin'.

 

Er erreicht das Publikum auch durch wichtige nationale Gedenkfeiern und Fernsehübertragungen, wie die KBS-Sondersendungen zum Unabhängigkeitstag und zum Tag der Verfassung sowie die Live-Übertragung der Seoul Easter Parade. Seine Fähigkeiten sind international anerkannt, was sich in der Auszeichnung mit dem Forbes Korea Premium Brand Award und Siegen bei zahlreichen internationalen Wettbewerben widerspiegelt. Kim, der vom Publikum aufgrund seiner ansprechenden Stimme liebevoll "Starlight Tenor" (Sternenlicht-Tenor) genannt wird, baut seine unvergleichliche musikalische Präsenz weiter aus, indem er gleichzeitig die Popularisierung der klassischen Musik und künstlerische Tiefe anstrebt.
 

테너 김지훈

​아티스트 바이오그라피

테너 김지훈은 서정적이면서도 반짝이는 음색, 그리고 힘 있는 발성을 바탕으로 오페라, 가곡, 뮤지컬 등 다양한 장르를 아우르며 독창적인 음악적 서사를 구축해 나가는 성악가이다. 3대에 걸친 음악가 가문에서 성장하며 일찍이 깊이 있는 음악적 소양을 정립한 그는, 한국예술종합학교 예비학교를 거쳐 동 대학 성악과를 졸업했다. 이후 이탈리아 로마 산타체칠리아 콘서바토리(Santa Cecilia Conservatory) 비엔뇨(Biennio) 최고연주자과정을 만점으로 졸업하고, 산타체칠리아 국립아카데미 오페라 스튜디오 과정을 이수하며 탄탄한 학문적, 실기적 기반을 완성했다.

 

그의 음악 세계는 서양 고전 음악의 철저한 고증과 한국적 정서의 융합을 특징으로 한다. 이탈리아 유학 시절, 학과 전반(음악사, 시문학 및 극문학, 실내악 등)에서 만점을 기록하며 학문적 우수성을 입증함과 동시에, 현지에 한국 가곡의 예술성을 심도 있게 소개하며 문화적 교류를 이끌어냈다. 이러한 배경은 그가 단순히 악보를 재현하는 연주자를 넘어, 작품의 역사적·문학적 배경을 성악적 언어로 치밀하게 재구성하는 데 중요한 자양분이 되었다.

 

김지훈의 무대는 정통 오페라의 틀을 넘어 현대 창작 오페라와 오라토리오, 음악극으로 폭넓게 확장되고 있다. 바리톤 에토레 바스티아니니(Ettore Bastianini) 서거 50주기 헌정 독창회를 시작으로, 서울시오페라단의 <오르페오> 한국 초연, 국립오페라단 <사랑의 묘약>, <마술피리>, 제13회 대한민국오페라페스티벌 <카발레리아 루스티카나 & 팔리아치> 등 주요 오페라 무대에서 주역으로 활약했다. 특히 오라토리오 <마르티레스(Martyres)> 세계 초연과 다수의 한국 창작 가곡 초연에 참여했으며, 최근에는 제17회 한국문화예술위원회 창작산실 올해의 신작인 오페라 <칼레아 부탈소로(KALEA - BUTALSORO)>에서 부탈소로 도시의 의장 '백유진' 역을 맡아 현대 창작물에서도 탁월한 곡 해석력과 극적 몰입도를 증명했다.

 

KBS 광복절 및 제헌절 기념식, 생방송 서울시 부활절 퍼레이드 등 굵직한 국가 기념 무대와 방송을 통해서도 관객과 소통하고 있는 그는, 포브스 코리아(Forbes Korea) 프리미엄 브랜드 대상 및 다수의 국제 콩쿠르를 석권하며 그 역량을 국제적으로 인정받았다. 특유의 호소력 짙은 목소리로 대중에게 '별빛테너'라 불리는 김지훈은, 클래식의 대중화와 예술적 깊이를 동시에 추구하며 자신만의 독보적인 음악적 입지를 다져나가고 있다.

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