Hyunah Yu, Soprano

Biography

Described by The Baltimore Sun as "a rising star - a lovely voice with diamond purity," South Korean-born American soprano, Hyunah Yu, first gained recognition in 1999 as a soloist in St. Matthew Passion with the New England Bach Festival. She was a prize-winner in the 1999 Walter W. Naumburg International Competition and a finalist in the Dutch International Vocal Competition and the Concert Artist Guild International Competition in New York. At the 2000 Marlboro Music Festival, Hyunah Yu was discovered by eminent pianist Mitsuko Uchida, who in 2003 nominated the soprano for a Fellowship by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust.

Hyunah Yu made her New York City recital debut in 2004 at Carnegie Hall. Other performance highlights include at the Shriver Hall concert series in Baltimore, concerts with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev, J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor in Cologne with the Orchestra of the West Deutsche Rundfunk, Beethoven 9th Symphony at the Aspen Music Festival, and a solo recital for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Her recent engagements include Bach's St. John Passion at the Marlboro Music Festival; the Mass in B minor, Magnificat; solo cantatas at the New England Bach Festival; and solo recitals at Jordan Hall in Boston, Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

The highlight of Ms. Yu's operatic work to date was singing the title role in Peter Sellars' new production of Zaide conducted by Louis Langrée. This was a joint production between the Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival and the Wiener Festwochen and has played in Vienna, New York, and Holland and at London's Barbican.

Hyunah Yu recorded two solo recitals for BBC Radio 3's Voices program. Her first CD was picked as one of Radio 3's Best of 2004. Her second, an EMI Debut Disc, was released in January 2007 and features Mozart arias and Bach cantatas recorded with the Prague Philharmonia.