Baritone Kim Tae-han Aims for Varied Global Stages Like Jonas Kaufmann
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Rising Korean baritone Kim Tae-han (25), the first vocalist selected as Kumho Art Hall’s resident musician, said he aspires to a versatile international career similar to tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Winner of the 2023 Queen Elisabeth Competition—the first Asian male to do so—Kim will present four concerts this year under the theme “Persona” (the theatrical mask from ancient Greece), exploring different facets of identity through programs titled New Year, “Relationships,” “Love,” and “Solitude.” He described his musical journey from a school rock band to studying classical singing, and highlighted his recent European work: two years in the Berlin Staatsoper opera studio and current engagements as a soloist at Frankfurt Opera. As resident musician, a program run by the Kumho Cultural Foundation supporting artists to plan 4–5 concerts yearly, Kim says he feels responsibility as the first singer in the role and wants to grow into a trusted, versatile performer across opera and recital stages.
