Biography
After studying music since her early childhood in Korea, Mi-kyung Kim 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 and 4 years later graduates in classical vocal singing. After 2 more years she obtains her Masters Degree and becomes singing teacher for adult choirs, teenagers and young children.
In 1997 Mi-kyung Kim flies to Germany to pursue an advanced degree as opera soloist. Rather than into the prestigious Berlin Musikhochschule, whose entrance examination she passes successfully, she decides to enter into the quieter but equally renowned Dresden Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber. 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 marvellous Semper Opera House, accompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik conducted by the famous conductor Sir Colin Davis.
After getting her diploma, Mi-kyung Kim 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 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. Then, since a few years, she has undertaken a rich artistic collaboration with former French diva Michèle Command. This marvellous international performer of the great lyric repertoire is now retired but she pursues a great career as voice teacher.
Since her arrival in France, Mi-kyung Kim 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. She performs in 2010 a series of concerts in Paris entitled “The night of the Phoenix, Journey around Belcanto”. She gets also noticed in the city of Savigny sur Orge where she sings in numerous 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 Italien company “Miracoli in Musica”.
Mi-kyung Kim’s first album “Concerts Pariens : Melodie, Lied, Opera” was released in June 2010. It is available on Internet.
With over 20 years of practising lyric singing, including over 10 years as a professional performer, Mi-kyung Kim is now an interesting artist combining the maturity and confidence brought by experience with a deep and delicate voice benefiting from a still intact and refreshing musical sensitivity.
She works regularly with several pianists and forms a wonderful duet with her friend Olga Bakhutashvili, Georgian artist who received in 2003 the price for Best Accompanist in the Georgia National Music Competition.
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