Samuel Youn facts for kids
Samuel Youn (Hangul: 윤태현; RR: Yun Tae-hyeon; MR: Yun T'aehyŏn; born in 1971) is a talented South Korean opera performer. He sings with a special deep voice called a bass baritone. This means his voice is lower than a tenor but not as low as a bass.
Contents
Samuel Youn's Journey in Music
Samuel Youn was born in Seoul, which is the capital city of South Korea.
Early Studies and First Roles
He studied singing in different places around the world. He learned in Seoul, in Milan, Italy, and at the Cologne University of Music in Germany. Since 1999, he has been a main singer at the Cologne Opera in Germany.
At the Cologne Opera, he has sung many important roles. These include:
- Kaspar in Der Freischütz
- Jochanaan in Richard Strauss' Salome
- Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen
He has also sung many roles from the famous composer Richard Wagner's operas. Some of these are:
- Donner and Gunther in Der Ring des Nibelungen
- Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde
- The Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer
Performing Around the World
Samuel Youn often travels to sing in other countries. These are called "guest appearances." For example, he sang the role of the Wanderer/Wotan in Wagner's Siegfried for the first time in Lisbon, Portugal. He also sang as Mephisto in Gounod's Faust in Italy.
Besides operas, he has also performed in big music concerts. He has sung in works like:
Bayreuth Festival Performances
In 2004, he sang for the first time at the famous Bayreuth Festival in Germany. This festival is only for Wagner's operas. He sang as the second Grail Knight in Parsifal. Later, in 2005, he was Reinmar von Zweter in Tannhäuser. In 2010, he sang as the Herald in Lohengrin.
A Special Moment at Bayreuth
In 2012, Samuel Youn made history at the Bayreuth Festival. He became the first Korean singer to perform the main role of the Dutchman in Der Fliegende Holländer there. He took over the role very suddenly, just days before the festival started.
Musical Ambassador Role
In November 2012, Samuel Youn was chosen as a Musical Ambassador for an organization called Singende Krankenhäuser e.V. This group helps bring singing to hospitals.
Recent Performances
In 2016, he sang the role of Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London. That same year, he performed in the United States for the first time. He sang as Alberich in Wagner's Das Rheingold with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This was his first time singing the role of Alberich.
Awards and Recognitions
Samuel Youn has won several important awards for his singing.
Special Prizes
In 2005, he was the very first person to receive the Offenbach Prize. This award comes from a group that supports the Cologne Opera.
Competition Wins
He has also won many international singing competitions. These include:
- The Treviso Toti dal Monte competition in Italy
- The Seoul Chung-Ang competition in South Korea
- The Genoa Franz Schubert Contest in Italy
- The Naples Francesco Albanese Contest in Italy
See also
In Spanish: Samuel Youn para niños
