BIOGRAPHY

Tenor Hansu Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He pursued musical studies at Yonsei University School of Music and earned a Bachelor of Music with scholarship in 1998. Soon after his graduation, he moved to the United States and studied at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music with scholarship in 2002. He studied under the guidance of the renowned Heldentenor and Kammersänger, James King and the Kennedy Prize winner, Martina Arroyo and the three-time GRAMMY nominee for Best Opera Recording in 1984, 1993, and 2007, Carol Vaness. He received further training through Masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Lucine Amara, Francisco Casanova, Lando Bartolini, Claudia Visca, Franco Silvestri, Chris Merritt and Christian Starinieri. Hansu’s operatic career has seen him performing a wide range of leading tenor roles across prominent opera houses and festivals in the United States. In 2006, he appeared as Radames in Aida and Manrico in Il Trovatore with One World Symphony. He portrayed Don José in Carmen (2008) with Bel Cantanti Opera. His repertoire also includes Calaf in Turandot (New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, 2010), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (Harmonia Opera at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 2011), and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera Camerata of Washington, 2012). His concert engagements have been equally impressive. He has made three appearances at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium with MidAmerica Productions and the New Jersey Philharmonic (2005, 2007, 2009). His oratorio performances include Schubert’s Mass in G Major (2007) and Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli (2009). Moreover, he was featured in gala concerts for esteemed audiences, including a 2008 performance for Korean President, Myung-bak Lee and a 2010 concert for New Jersey Governor, Jon Corzine. Hansu Kim honed his craft as an artist with the Utah Festival Opera, Dicapo Opera and Pacific Encore Performances. His vocal development was further supported by coaching from the Metropolitan Opera conductors Steven Crawford, Gregory Buchalter, and Louis Salemno, and professors Claudia Visca, Marcin Kozieł and Joëlle Bouffa of the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW) - Institut für Gesang und Musiktheater in Vienna, Austria, solidifying his place as a sought-after tenor in both operatic and concert settings. Hansu Kim teaches at Seoul Theological University School of Music, Seoul, South Korea as a Voice Professor. Throughout his career, Hansu Kim has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. 

Below is the list of his achievements from the prominent competitions all around the world.

1st Prize The 2024 European Virtuoso Music Awards, Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany

1st Prize The 2024 International Clara Schumann Competition, Brussels, Belgium

1st & Grand Prize The 2024 Arizona International Music Competition, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

1st & Special Prize The 2024 Swiss International Music Competition, Lugano, Switzerland

1st Prize The 2024 Euterpe International Music Awards, Berlin, Germany

1st Prize The 2024 Gulf Musician Idol International Competition, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

1st & Special Prize The 2024 Servaas International Music Competition, Online

1st Prize The 2024 Royal Maas International Music Competition, Online

1st Prize The 2024 World Stage International Music Competition, Online

1st Prize The 2010 Accadia Foundation International Vocal Competition, Carnegie Hall, New York, USA

1st & Career Grant Prize The 2004 Olga Forrai Foundation International Competition for Dramatic Voices, New York, USA

1st Prize The 2002 Dicapo Opera International Vocal Competition, New York, USA

2nd Prize The 2024 Salzburg International Music Competition, Salzburg, Austria

2nd Prize The 2024 American International Classical Music Awards, New York, USA

2nd Prize The 2009 Mario Lanza International Vocal Competition, New York, USA

2nd Prize The 2005 Vera Scammon International Vocal Competition, Denver, Colorado, USA

3rd Prize The 2024 25th Osaka International Music Competition, Osaka, Japan

4th & Special Prize The 2024 3rd Giuditta Pasta Concorso Internazionale per Canto Lirico, Kumamoto, Japan