VoxCarnyx

Korean singer Sunyoung Seo won universal acclaim in her Scottish stage debut. She talks to Keith Bruce before concert appearances with the RSNO

Of the praise that greeted Sir David McVicar’s Scottish Opera production of Puccini’s Il Trittico two years ago, a generous proportion was accorded to Korean soprano Sunyoung Seo who made her company debut in contrasting lead roles in the first two parts of the trilogy, as Giorgetta in Il tabarro and as the titular Suor Angelica.

Her absence from the comedic third opera, Gianni Schicchi, means Scotland has heard her only in a tragic context – which this week’s Valetine’s Concerts with the RSNO in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow might go some way to balancing.

That depends on how you regard the Wagner’s Dich, teure Halle, from Tannhauser, and the Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, of course. Both are, however, celebratory pinnacles of the operatic soprano repertoire, and the latter is a work she has only recently added to her repertoire as she enters her 40s.

“I have also sung the first act of Die Walkure in concert, and Senta’s aria from The Flying Dutchman,” Sunyoung told Vox Carnyx.

“All of Wagner’s operas, with their mythological themes of salvation, their chromatic music, frequent modulations that almost feel atonal, counterpoint, and rich orchestration, have a powerful attraction. If the opportunity arises, I would love to take on other works that I have not yet performed in fully stage productions.”

Asked to identify the role that she regards most fondly, it is Dvorak’s masterpiece based on the Ondine story that she immediately names.

“Without a moment’s hesitation, it’s Rusalka. It is a work that gave me my European debut in 2011 at the Basel Theatre in Switzerland and it was also the piece that marked my professional debut in Korea in 2016. Rusalka holds a special place in my heart, like a first love.

“Given the nature of my voice, I am often cast in tragic roles. Most of the time, I play characters who either die or are involved in death. In the fall of 2023, I performed Tosca in Korea, and when I met the director, the first thing I said was, ‘I’m curious how we will kill Scarpia this time.’

“I’ve usually used a knife to kill Scarpia, but in that production, he was portrayed as a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder who covered all the furniture with thick plastic to keep it dust-free. Even the bed was covered in plastic, and I killed him by suffocating him with it, pressing it against his face.

“It’s fascinating to me that I get to live these extreme lives on stage and experience them actively. Every time I study a new piece, I find great joy in expressing and sharing the fresh, positive impressions I felt when I first encountered it.”

In those Scottish Opera roles, the soprano impressed as much in her acting as her vocal performance and she says it is her Christian faith that helps her bring a vibrancy to those dark stage moments.

“In opera, the more I identify with the situation and internalize the emotions, the more material I have to express.

“When performing the same role repeatedly, I always want to ensure that I avoid becoming mechanical and letting my emotional state become ‘numb’. For that reason, before every performance, I meditate deeply, and even on stage, I constantly pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit. I always pray that Jesus will imbue me with all the inspiration, talents, and abilities I need.”

It was the church in Korea that nurtured the young singer, long before her operatic career.

“I loved singing as a child and if guests were visiting our home or we were on family trips to the mountains or the beach during the holidays, I would often sing in front of my family. I started singing in the church choir at the age of 8.

“I was the eldest of three daughters, and my parents had no background in music, but they always encouraged and supported me. At the age of 11 I sang with the municipal children’s choir, and at 17 I began receiving professional vocal training in preparation for university entrance exams.”

Sunyoung eventually came to Europe to study at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf with Professor Michaela Kramer, with whom she still works today. She continues to live in Seoul, however, and maintains strong links with Korea’s National University of the Arts where she completed her undergraduate studies.

“I began my teaching career at my alma mater at the relatively young age of 35. In my classes with students, I often feel less like I am teaching them and more like I am sharing what I’ve learned, and in many cases, I feel that I learn from them as well.

“The university boasts a high success rate in international competitions and with prestigious opera houses and orchestras around the world. Our school is a specialized arts institution consisting of six colleges: music, dance, fine arts, theatre, film, and traditional arts. Students are encouraged to experience classes from other departments, allowing many singers to gain valuable acting experience in the theatre department.”

Balancing her international career with teaching responsibilities at home means that opportunities to hear her voice in Europe can be rare. This year much of her work is in Korea and Japan, including a concert Rusalka, Mahler Symphonies No 4 and 2, a production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and an appearance in Tokyo as part of a celebration of 60 years of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations.

Look out for her return in 2026 though, when she makes her Netherlands debut as Suor Angelica, and it is whispered, may well be seen again in a Scottish Opera production.

The RSNO’s Valentine’s Concert, which follows Wagner with Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony, is at Dundee’s Caird Hall on February 13, Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on February 14 and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on February 15, conducted by David Niemann.