Patronatsverein

Tell us about your first experiences with opera and when did you decide to pursue a professional career as an opera singer?

Andrew Kim

In elementary school I was a good swimmer, but had to give it up, because an injury hindered my futher progress. Already then I was a child who liked to listen to and sing K-Pop. My first encounter with opera was Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma, which I heard on radio. That’s when I became curious and became fascinated by opera. Later on I persuaded my parents, who initially wanted me to become a doctor, and went to university majoring in singing. Through an audition for Mozart’s The Magic Flute I received the role of Tamino and built my operatic career on this.  

Patronatsverein

South Korea is your home country and your Korean Name, under which we welcomed you to the Opera Studio, is Hyunjung Kim. If we were to travel to South Korea, which opera houses would you recommend us to visit?

Andrew Kim

I would recommend visiting the Seoul Arts Center, where you can enjoy outstanding opera productions with Korean and foreign singers, who perform in world class theatres like Opera Frankfurt, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera or Milan Scala. The theatre has a seating capacity of more than 2.000 seats and is a modern and stylish building. There you can experience an opera performance that combines Korean costumes, stage direction and setting with European musical tradition.

Patronatsverein

How would you describe the role opera plays within Korean society. And which opera always guarantees a sold out house in Korea?

Andrew Kim

Opera lovers enjoy it as a part of their leisure time. Like going to the cinema, attending a K-Pop concert or visiting a restaurant to enjoy delicious food watching a good opera takes you away from the monotony of daily routine and recharges your energy levels before you return to everyday life. Verdi’s operas seem to be sold out often. Always sold out is La Boheme at the end of the year. Opera lovers enjoy watching La Boheme in December. Therefore, a performance of La Boheme is almost guaranteed to be sold out at the end of the year.  

Patronatsverein 

What helped you the most to settle in Frankfurt and start feeling at home?

Andrew Kim

Most helpful are the friendly collegues I met at work. They kindly tell me a lot about life at Opera Frankfurt, good restaurants, sights worth seeing etc. Through this I was able to familiarise with Frankfurt quickly. Wherever I am with my wife I feel at home. It would not have been easy for me to adapt if I had been in a new place without family. In addition there are many Korean restaurants and grocery shops in Frankfurt, and I think that helps me to miss my homeland less. (laughs)

Patronatsverein 

Friends of yours plan to visit you in Frankfurt for the first time. Where would you take them to?

Andrew Kim

First of all I would show them Opera Frankfurt where I work. In addition it is very nice to show the skyline and go for walk along the river Main. But of course I would be particuarly happy if my friends were to see one of my performances.

Patronatsverein 

How many hours do you practice your voice on average per day?

Andrew Kim

I would say, almost 24 hours. I practise up to 3 hours, but in addition I spend even more time reading sheet music, listening to music and thinking about techniques. My wife says, I often sing whilst being asleep.

Patronatsverein 

Which is your favourite sport to keep fit for the stage?

Andrew Kim

As a boy I was a swimmer – so I still enjoy to swim. In cold weather, like in these days, I go to the gym, do weight training and aerobic training.

Patronatsverein 

Imagine a wonderful dinner at an enchanted place. You can invite any composer/composers you would like to join you at the table for a long conversation about life, music and else. Whom would you like to invite?

Andrew Kim

I would like to invite Gaetano Donizetti, the greatest composer of bel canto, to dinner. When I listen to Donizetti’s arias, I feel very comfortable. But as a singer who has to sing this aria it is very difficult, because content and emotions of the piece have to be sung in great detail. I would love to meet him over a glass of wine and get some tips from him on how I could sing the way he composed it. And I would love to get to know Mozart. It would be great and immensely interesting to meet the genius, who wrote these brilliant operas with so much humor.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH YOU, ANDREW KIM. WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOON SEEING YOU PERFORM ON STAGE AT OPERA FRANKFURT.