Biography : Sungji Kim
A "silvery voiced" singer (Opera Magazine), soprano Sungji Kim is quickly gaining world-wide recognition as a singer equally adept in opera, recital, concert, and contemporary music. With numerous performances in Japan, Korea, Germany, Canada and throughout the United States. Ms. Kim is a much sought after artist with a repertoire ranging from Renaissance and Early Music, to contemporary pieces written specifically for her unique musical gifts.
Ms. Kim made her operatic stage debut with the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflote at the Seoul Art Center while pursuing her bachelor degree. She has sung diverse repertoire including the roles of Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore, Gilda in Rigoletto, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia, Nannetta in Falstaff with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Monica in The Medium and Giannetta in L' Elisir d'Amore, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Merola Young Artist Program of the San Francisco Opera, Alcina in Alcina, Aricie in Hippolyte et Aricie at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Lakme in Lakme, and Creuse in Medee by Darius Milhaud (She sings beautifully, especially in her upper register. The Brooklyn Press Newspaper)
On the concert stage, Ms.Kim has performed an impressive array including Bach Cantatas and Magnificat in Japan, Haydn's The Creation in the Toronto Arts Center, Handel's Alexanderfs Feast, The Choice of Hercules, and Joshua under Kenneth Cooper, Mendelssohn's Elijah, and the premiere of Thomas Linley Jr.'s Cantata in New York City.
As an active contemporary singer, Ms.Kim has been featured in premiere performances with the Telesis Music Ensemble, Sound Clock Ensemble, and at the Universities of Pennsylvania, New York, Princeton (sponsored by Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison), and at the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. She has been exploring the little-known repertoire for voice and classical guitar with Stanley Alexandrowicz - their 2005-7 tour including performances in New York, Baltimore, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and a special invitation to appear at the Croatian Embassy in Washington D.C. (featuring the music of Ivan Padovec).
A native of Busan, South Korea, Soprano Sungji Kim earned her Bachelor of Music from Seoul National University honored with full scholarship. At the Curtis Institute of Music, she earned her Master of Music degree and the Professional Studies Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music as the recipient of the Presidentfs Scholarship.
Ms. Kim's won the Liederkranz Foundation Competition, first place at the Paul Robeson Vocal Competition of the Urban Philharmonic Society in DC, second place at the Sembrich Voice Scholarship Competition sponsored by the Kosciuszko Foundation, second place at the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition in MD, second place at the little Italy Soprano Competition in NY, second place at the South Orange Symphony Artist Competition in NJ, and German Lieder Competition by the Goethe Institute and she was a finalist at the International Opera Singers Competition of the Center for Contemporary Opera in NY and National Opera Association Vocal Competition. Her upcoming engagements include recitals (with a classical guitar) in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, singing the role of Zerbinetta with the One World Symphony in Manhattan.