So Young

Soprano

So Young
A native of Pusan, South Korea, SO YOUNG PARK recently made her mainstage debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos to high praise making “the role’s endless coloratura sound effortless” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch). During the 16-17 season, she joins roster of the San Francisco Opera to cover the lead role of Dai Yu in their World Premiere of Dream of the Red Chamber, returns to LA Opera for two productions as Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio and as Daughter of Akhnaten in Akhnaten and to Le Salon de Musiques for a program of Strauss Lieder, and debuts with Opera Naples as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and the New West Symphony as the Soprano Soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria.

Ms. Park completed her tenure as a Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist.  During her two years with LA Opera, she performed the roles of The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Gossip in The Ghosts of Versailles (recorded on PENTATONE records), Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, and Pat Nixon in the Music Center’s 50th Anniversary Concert.  Maestro Plácido Domingo invited Ms. Park to perform alongside him as a soloist for his concert at the Seoul Olympic Gymnasium, South Korea. Also, she made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel.

Opera News described her signature role of the Queen of the Night as "darker and more colorful than that of the leggieros who usually take the role: the voice’s weight was a reminder that the Queen has urgent matters to impart before she lets loose with her fireworks. Park’s coloratura was dazzling in runs and arpeggio." She has performed the Queen with Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera (Miller Theater), the Glimmerglass Festival, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Colorado, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Baroque, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Aspen Music Festival, New England Conservatory.

Ms. Park has been honored as the 1st place recipient from the Y. A. Competition of Philharmonic Society of Arlington, the Forte International Music Competition in 2013, the NOA Caroline and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition, and the Metropolitan International Music Festival Competition. She won the 4th prize and Audience prize at Opera Columbus Vocal Competition, was a finalist at the Francisco Viñas International Singing Contest and the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, and a Quarter Finalist at the Operalia Competition in 2014.  In addition to her recording on LA Opera's The Ghosts of Versailles, Maestro Plàcido Domingo featured Ms. Park as a soloist on his recent Christmas album, My Christmas, recorded under Sony Classics at the world famous Capitol Records Studios.

Ms. Park earned her Artist Diploma and Master’s Degree from the New England Conservatory, where she performed Lisetta in the world premiere of the critical edition of Rossini’s La Gazzetta, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Amore in Orfeo ed Euridice. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University, where she graduated first in her class and performed the roles of Violetta in La Traviata and Gilda in Rigoletto.