Biography
Korean-American countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim makes his Royal Opera debut in the 2018/19 Season as Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro).
Originally from Korea, Kim grew up in Chicago and studied voice at Northwestern University in Evanston and at London’s Royal Academy of Music. His notable operatic appearances in baroque repertory include Speranza (L’Orfeo) and Nerone (L’incoronazione di Poppea) for the Salzburg, Edinburgh, Berlin and Lucerne festivals and at the Philharmonie of Paris, La Fenice, Venice and New York’s Lincoln Center under Gardiner, Menelao (Cavalli’s Elena) for Opéra national de Montpellier, Opéra de Lille, Angers-Nantes Opéra and Opéra Royal de Versailles, Aeneas (Vinci’s Didone abbandonata) in Schwetzingen and Halle, Barzane (Vivaldi’s Arsilda, regina di Ponto) on tour in France and for the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava, Romeo (Zingarelli’s Giulietta e Romeo) in Schwetzingen, Nireno (Handel’s Giulio Cesare) for Glyndebourne Festival and Hamor (Handel’s Jephtha) in Wiesbaden. His Mozart appearances include Idamante (Idomeneo) for Giessen State Theatre, Cherubino in Heidelberg and Sesto (La clemenza di Tito) for Opéra National de Montpellier. His other appearances include Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) for the Opéra-Comique and in Cologne, and Oreste (La Belle Hélène) for Théâtre du Châtelet.
Kim performs widely in recital and in concert, including Handel’s Parnasso in Festa at Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vivaldi's Catone in Utica in Cologne, Britten’s Canticles at Teatro San Carlo Naples and Orff’s Carmina burana with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.