BIOGRAPHY

South Korean baritone, Kyu Choi, is a permanent member of the ensemble in Theater Basel

​

He graduated from the National University of Arts in Korea before taking up a place at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied for his master, supported by the San Martino Scholarship in 2016.  He successfully completed his training for the Advanced Diploma at the Royal Academy Opera, studying with Mark Wildman and Ingrid Surgenor, and is grateful for the support received from Independent Opera, the Charles Mackerras Opera Scholarship, the Stokes Bursary, the Henry Wood Award and the Josephine Baker Trust.

​

He has made numerous solo appearances, notably at the Wigmore Hall and the Seoul Art Centre Recital Hall.  In opera, he has performed several principal roles including the title role in Don Giovanni, Robert in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Le Podestat in Bizet’s Le docteur Miracle with the RAO, as well as Dr Falke in Die Fledermaus in Berlin.

​

Mr Choi has won numerous awards: recent competition successes include 1st Prize wins at the N. Obukhova International Singing Competition in Russia (2018), the Pavarotti Prize (2019) and the Joaninha award (2019), 2nd Prize at the Clonter Opera Prize (2019), and the opera prize at the Mozart Singing Competition (2017). He was also a finalist in the Wilhelm Stenhammer International Music Competition in Sweden (2018).

​

During the 2019/20 season, he was a member of the National Opera Studio, going on to be part of the OperAvenir ensemble at the Theater Basel in the following year.  His many roles in Basel have included Bruder Rufin Saint François d’Assise, Sprecher Die Zauberflöte, Malatesta Don Pasquale, Marco Gianni Schicchi, Baritone Solo Carmina Burana, Baron Douphol, La traviata Doctor, Die Nase and Figaro Il barbiere di Siviglia.

​

Kyu will sing several roles in the 22/23 season, including a title role in Don Giovanni,  Erste Soldat Salome, Marullo Rigoletto and Algerino in Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza.