Julian Jootaek Kim
Julian Jootaek Kim, also known as Julian Kim, is a South Korean baritone opera singer, crossover artist, and musical theater performer. He was born on September 9, 1986. Kim is known for his portrayal of Figaro in the opera Il barbiere di Siviglia in Italy, which he performed more than 70 times, and as the Phantom in a Korean replica production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera.
Biography
Julian Kim, an opera singer and musical actor, is an alumnus of Sunhwa Arts School. After completing his high school education in South Korea, Kim continued his studies at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, Italy, graduating with a perfect score with honors in 2010.Singing competitions
Kim has achieved numerous accolades throughout his career. He secured the Grand Prize in The Korea Voice Competition by the Lee DaeWoong Music Scholarship Foundation and clinched the first place in the Music Chunchu Competition and Shin Youngok Competition during his high school years in Korea. In Italy, he garnered the Premio Miglior Giovane Promessa in the Renata Tebaldi International Competition in 2007. Additionally, he attained the second place in the Riccardo Zandonai Competition and International Lyric Competition Magda Olivero and the first place and the Young Voices Award by the City of Magenta in 2009, followed by the third place in the Francesc Viñas International Singing Competition and the second place in the International Singing Competition Maria Caniglia in 2011. In 2012, he secured second place in the Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico Giacinto Prandelli, the International Singing Competition Maria Caniglia, and the Verdian Voices International Singing Competition. Furthermore, he triumphed by achieving first place in the International Singing Competition of Toulouse and the second place in the Viotti International Music Competition. Noteworthy accolades include the fourth place and second place in the Seoul International Music Competition in 2007 and 2013, respectively, alongside the Myung-whun Chung Miracle Of Music Awards received in Korea in 2011.Opera
Kim's debut took place in 2009 at the Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, Italy, where he performed as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He has since portrayed leading roles in various renowned operas, including La traviata, The marriage of Figaro, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, Cosi fan tutte, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Simon Boccanegra, Il signor Bruschino, Das Rheingold, Lucia di Lammermoor, La bohème, and Rigoletto across multiple theaters in Italy.Kim collaborated extensively with Maestro Myung-whun Chung and also had the privilege of working with renowned conductors like Sir Antonio Pappano, Roberto Polastri, Daniel Oren, Jader Bignamini, Riccardo Frizza, Stefano Ranzani, Daniele Rustioni, Francesco Cilluffo, Gregory Kunde, and Juraj Valčuha. His performances primarily took place in Italy, notably at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, and Terme di Caracalla in Rome. He also showcased his talent in Korea, as well as in other countries such as China, Austria, Switzerland and Peru.
Teatro La Fenice, a historic cultural landmark, serves as a significant representation of Italy's theatrical and operatic traditions. This renowned theater, known for hosting premieres of works by eminent composers including Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, holds a special place in the history of Italian opera. Notably, it was at La Fenice where Verdi spent 13 years, composing and staging operas like Ernani, Attila, Rigoletto, La traviata, and Simon Boccanegra. Alongside La Scala and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, La Fenice is recognized as one of Italy's foremost theaters.
Julian Jootaek Kim made his debut at La Fenice in 2013, portraying the character Marcello in La bohème. As of June 2024, he has performed on the esteemed stage 104 times, earning acclaim for his prominent baritone roles in productions like Attila, Il barbiere de Serville, La traviata, La bohème, and Don Carlo. Especially, Julian Kim has portrayed the character Figaro during the 2014–2020 season at Teatro La Fenice, featuring in 47 out of a total of 60 performances of Il barbiere de Serville. Furthermore, he participated in 20 out of 29 performances of La bohème during the same season at Teatro La Fenice, portraying the role Marcello.
At La Fenice, an annual financial report is released at the end of every year. The 2020 report highlights Don Carlo
Opera repertoire
Ludwig van Beethoven- Fidelio – Don Fernando
- I puritani – Riccardo
- L'elisir d'amore – Belcore
- Lucia di Lammermoor – Lord Enrico Ashton
- Cavalleria rusticana – Alfio
- Le nozze di Figaro - Count Almaviva
- La bohème – Marcello, Schaunard
- Madama Butterfly – Sharpless
- Il barbiere di Siviglia – Figaro
- Il signor Bruschino - Gaudenzio
- Attila – Ezio
- Don Carlo – Rodrigo
- Giovanna d'Arco – Giacomo
- La traviata – Barone Douphol, Giorgio Germont
- Simon Boccanegra – Paolo Albiani
- Das Rheingold – Donner
Opera performances
Phantom Singer (TV program)
is a television show on JTBC in Korea that functions as an audition program to select a male crossover vocal quartet. Season 1 of the show aired from November 11, 2016, to January 27, 2017.Julian Jootaek Kim mentioned feeling his heart race while watching Phantom Singer 1, leading to a realization that he needed a change in his life. Despite his deep involvement in numerous operas in Italy that he cherished, he yearned to explore various genres of singing. His colleagues in the classical field, as well as his parents, were worried that his exposure to popular music could harm his career in opera when he decided to participate in Phantom Singer 2. Kim chose to be on the show to broaden the listener pool of classical music, believing that music is for anyone who enjoys it regardless of the genre.
In the previous season 1, there were singers with classical training from Korea, Italy, and the USA, but none were working in the opera scene abroad. In season 2, about half of the 32 finalists were classically trained, with one graduate student who was a bass-baritone from Germany. Julian Jootaek Kim was the only opera singer working abroad and was referred to as 'the world-famous opera star' on the show, with one judge questioning why he chose to join.
Ultimately, he emerged as a runner-up and joined a group named Miraclass - a title derived from blending "miracle" and "class", signifying their commitment to delivering an extraordinary reinterpretation of classical music or exceptional excellence in music. Following the show, his schedule was packed with commitments as a crossover singer in Korea and an opera singer in Italy. During this time, he performed in various productions in Italy, including La bohème, I puritani, La traviata, L'elisir d'amore, Don Carlo, and Il barbiere di Siviglia, spanning the period between the end of Phantom Singer season 2 and the start of season 3.
His continued success in Italian opera was a significant encouragement for the production team of Phantom Singer as they prepared for the next season. They held auditions in Europe to recruit participants for Season 3, emphasizing the importance of 'finding talents like Julian Jootaek Kim'. A surge of classical vocalists in higher education and opera houses abroad auditioned for Seasons 3 and 4. Among the final participants in Season 3 and Season 4, a notable number were from higher education or associated with opera houses. In particular, Canada-based countertenor David Dong Qyu Lee in Season 4 was a big surprise due to his fame and prolific career in opera. The classical and crossover concerts performed by those from Phantom Singer saw top ticket sales, attracting the general public to these classically-oriented events.
Miraclass
Main article: MiraclassMiraclass, the crossover group, is composed of Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, Kang-hyun Park, and. The group released a full album titled Romantica in 2018 and actively participated in Phantom Singer concerts along with hosting their own concerts from 2017 to 2020 in Korea. Julian Kim frequently traveled between Korea and Italy, performing notably at Teatro La Fenice, Italy, before the COVID-19 outbreak.
During the COVID-19 quarantine period, JTBC aired a program called Phantom Singer All Stars, where the three finalist quartet teams from the previous three seasons competed or showcased their performances to online audiences. Miraclass excelled in this show, securing numerous wins, including one MVP by performing a rendition of Josh Groban's song "Mai," in the competitions among the nine participating groups. Kim also collaborated with other singers in the program, such as Jo Mingyu of Forestella and Yoo Seul-gi of Duetto.
Since their formation on September 26, 2017, Miraclass has actively hosted concerts, released full albums, and engaged with their audience through a YouTube channel named Just-10-minute produced by mexicomini52. On the channel, they partake in various challenges and provide glimpses into their bond, friendship as well as daily lives and camaraderie.