Korea, initial training and university studies
After studying music since her early childhood in Korea, classical soprano opera singer Mi-kyung Kim (김미경) discovers her vocation for lyric singing during her teenage years. She stops playing the piano in order to dedicate herself to her new passion. She enters Kyunghee University Music College in Seoul, South Korea, and 4 years later graduates in classical vocal singing. After 2 more years of studies in the same field, she obtains her Masters Degree and becomes singing teacher for adult choirs, teenagers and young children.
Germany, specialization and beginning as a professional singer
A little afterwards Mi-kyung pursues successfully an advanced post-graduate degree as opera soloist in Germany. Rather than into the prestigious Berlin Musikhochschule, whose entrance examination she passes successfully, she decides to enter into the also very renowned Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden. For close to 3 years, she studies under the direction of baritone Jürgen Hartfiel from Dresden Semper Opera House. She partakes in several master classes with Brigitte Fassbender, Walter Berry, Sir Colin Davis... During this period of intense musical activity, whether for studies or for stage performances, she gives numerous concerts in local churches and theaters. She performs twice the role of Lauretta in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in Meißen Theater with conductor Jörg-Peter Wiegle. And shortly after a memorable graduation concert in February 2000, she sings solo and duo arias from The Marriage of Figaro during a Mozart concert in the wonderful Semper Opera House, accompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik conducted by the famous conductor Sir Colin Davis.
France, opening and artistic collaborations
After graduating, Mi-kyung leaves Germany to settle near Paris, where she has ever since kept practising her art in order to remain at the highest level as a soloist performer. She meets in Paris the Italian maestro Gianfranco Brizio, with whom she gains during several years of collaboration a deeper understanding of the interpretation art of Belcanto through the operas of Bellini, Puccini, Rossini… as well as through Italian melody. She also takes advantage of her living in France to deepen her understanding and interpretation of French opera and melody. She does so initially thanks to the late great accompanist Solange Chiapparin, 1st price winner of the international competitions in Rome and Münich as well as former piano soloist for the Radio France National Orchestra. During many years they practice and regularly give concerts together. More recently, she has undertaken a rich artistic collaboration with former French diva Michèle Command. This marvellous international performer of the great lyric repertoire, now retired, pursues a great career as voice teacher and keeps coaching Mi-kyung on a very regular basis.
Various performances of a moving artist
Since her arrival in France, Mi-kyung sings as soloist in various sacred music concerts, such as Dvorak Te Deum or Haydn's Lord Nelson and Saint Nicholas Mass in Senlis Cathedral and Saint Germain des Pres Church in Paris. She partakes in various concerts with friend musicians and sings during religious ceremonies, weddings, funerals or Christmas masses. She gives numerous solo recitals in France where she mixes opera arias with sacred music, German Lied, French, Italian and Korean melody.
For instance she performs in 2010 a series of concerts in Paris entitled The night of the Phoenix, Journey around Belcanto. She also gets noticed in the city of Savigny sur Orge where she performs several recitals in solo or together with the city orchestra, a band of over 80 musicians conducted by Gérard Leclerc. In 2011, she comes back to opera. She performs in the Adyar Theater in Paris the role of Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème in a production by Italian company Miracoli in Musica, then sings Italian opera arias in a concert entitled Avanti la musica! supervised by French conductor Laurent Petitgirard. After this she gives a great recital in Saint-Amarin in Alsace at the Festival Jazz Amarinois called De Summertime à West Side Story. She performs at the re-opening of the Trianon, famous French movie theater known for hosting long-running TV show La dernière séance, sings in the magnificent Chartres Cathedral for the Night of the Cathedrals and sings extracts of The Magic Flute during a concert called Vivement Mozart hosted by Frédéric Lodéon. She also gives a recital entitled Love duets across centuries with tenor Ook Chung of Paris National Opera.
International opening, evolution towards elegant ceremonies and other private events
In 2013, and then 2015-2016, she is invited several times in the U.S.A. and in South Korea to perform Gospel and various music types for the US Army. In 2015 she gives a great recital in the beautiful city concert hall of Montargis, France. In 2016 she gives in the magnificent Chateau of Challain-la-Potherie a recital of opera arias accompanied by a string quartet, and shortly afterwards another recital at the Chateau de Bouffémont. In 2017 she sings for the New Year town hall meeting of Le Plessis-Trévise city, goes back to Saint-Amarin in Alsace for a recital of opera arias, French melodies and sacred music and gives another recital near Paris with tenor Ook-Chung. During the summer of 2018, she performs a recital of opera arias, sacred music and Korean songs at the Chateau la Bastide for a festival Patrimoine et Culture organized by the city of Lezignan-Corbières in the south of France, performs at the Chateau de la Pioline in Aix-en-Provence and gives another performance for a private event in the very famous Paris Garnier National Opera House.
During all this time, by her own means or through her agency Scarlett Entertainment based in the U.K., she performs in very privileged environments for private events such as elegant wedding ceremonies (christian, jew, mixed or non religious), funerals, company meetings...
Albums and musical collaborations
Mi-kyung Kim works regularly with several pianists and forms a wonderful duet with her friend Olga Bakhutashvili, a French-Georgian artist who received in 2003 the price for Best Accompanist in the Georgia National Music Competition.
Her first album Concerts Parisiens : Melodie, Lied, Opera was released in June 2010. It was followed in 2012 by a second album entitled Live in St Amarin: De Summertime à West Side Story. Both albums were recorded live. The third album, a studio recording released in 2014 dedicated to German Lied, is entitled Lieder forever: Schubert, Mozart, Schumann, Strauss.
With over 20 years of practicing lyric opera singing, including more than 15 years as a professional soloist performer, Mi-kyung Kim is now a very interesting artist combining the maturity and confidence brought by experience with a warm and delicate voice benefiting from a still intact and refreshing musical sensitivity. As well as the love of singing and sharing emotions with people.