SEUNGHYEON BAEK
BARITONE
BIOGRAPHY
Baritone SeungHyeon Baek is quickly gaining recognition throughout the American opera circuit as an artist of significant talents and versatility, applauded for his “full, generous baritone voice” and his considerable “histrionic abilities combined with his rich artistry.” Last season, Baek returned to The Metropolitan Opera and joined Bravo! Vail Music Festival to cover Marcello in La bohème. He joined New Jersey Festival Orchestra to sing Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and he brought his Marcello to Pacific Symphony and Hawaii Opera Theatre. He will return to The Metropolitan Opera this season, once again to cover Marcello.
Recently, Baek joined the roster of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera for their productions of La bohème and Falstaff. Additionally, he made his role début as Scarpia in Tosca with St. Petersburg Opera, the eponymous Gianni Schicchi with Opera Steamboat, and he returned to the role of Father in Hansel and Gretel for his house début with New Orleans Opera. Mr. Baek joined Opera Orlando for the title role in Rigoletto, the Canadian Opera Company for Yamadori/Grand Inquisitor in Madama Butterfly, and Maryland Lyric Opera to sing Frate in Don Carlo.
Mr. Baek has made several notable débuts, including with Opera San José as Conte di Luna in Il trovatore and with Opera Tampa as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, after which the Tampa Bay Times praised his “commanding baritone.” He also made a role début as Tonio in Pagliacci with Opera Fairbanks and house débuts with Opera North as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and New York City Opera as Billy Jackrabbit in La fanciulla del West. Additionally, he performed the title role in Gianni Schicchi with St. Petersburg Opera; Lord Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor, Sonora in La fanciulla del West, and as a soloist on their An Evening of Puccini concert with Maryland Lyric Opera; Marcello in La bohème, Tonio in Pagliacci, and Dandini in La Cenerentola with Opera Ithaca; Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with MidAtlantic Opera; and Dandini in La Cenerentola with New York City Opera for their Park Concert Series.
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CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...a rich baritone with powerful projection..." – NJART
Lucia di Lammermoor – "Touches of toxic masculinity were shown through Enrico, sung by SeungHyeon Baek. He combined all the villainous qualities for the role — manipulative, ambitious, calculating and cold — exemplified by the rageful “La pietade in suo favore” vengeance cabaletta sung in a rich baritone with powerful projection."
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"...Baek was suave, wry, and amusing..." – Opera News
Gianni Schicchi – “As Gianni, Seung-hyeon Baek was suave, wry, and amusingly mocking in his impersonation of Buoso.”
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"...the strongest singing in a male role – Tampa Bay Times
Le nozze di Figaro – “SeungHyeon Baek has a commanding baritone, delivering the strongest singing in a male role.”
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"...a delightful surprise...baritone bad boy" – DC Metro Theater Arts
Lucia di Lammermoor – “Baek’s Enrico was a delightful surprise. Baek musters enough menace to earn his baritone bad boy bona fides”
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...sensitive and warm baritone..." – Rutland Herald
Madama Butterfly – “SeungHyeon Baek was a rock as Sharpless, with his sensitive and warm baritone”
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"...lively, quick in emotion, funny and forceful..." – CULTUREOC
La bohème – "SeungHyeon Baek made an ideal Marcello, lively, quick in emotion, funny and forceful."
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"...exceptional vocal power, expression and beauty..." – Á La Carte Productions
Rigoletto – "In the title role, baritone SeungHyeon Baek had exceptional vocal power, expression and beauty to bring to life this tragic humpbacked jester."