Biography
Bass-Baritone Samuel Youn received his first vocal training in his hometown Seoul, and then completed his studies at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan and at the Conservatory of Cologne.In 1999, he started his career at the Cologne Opera where he has established himself quickly as a leading dramatic bass baritone of his generation in roles like Amonasro/Aida, Tonio/Pagliacci, Kurwenal/Tristan und Isolde, Gunter/Götterdämmerung, Kaspar/Der Freischütz, Pizzaro/Fidelio, and the title role in Wagner`s Der fliegende Holländer. Besides his commitment at the Cologne Opera, he has also been invited on many international stages, including Opéra national de Paris, Opéra de Marseille, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Teatro alla Scala, Theater an der Wien, Teatro Real de Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Teatro di San Carlo Naples, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro Sao Carlo Lisbon, as well as the Bayreuth Festival and Edinburgh International Festival.
Samuel Youn collaborated with conductors, such as Philippe Jordan, Christian Thielemann, Andrew Davis, Marc Elder, Andris Nelsons, Juraj Valčuha, Semyon Bychkov, Marc Minkowski, Markus Stenz, Peter Ruzicka, Donald Runnicles, John Fiore, Will Humburg, Pinchas Steinberg, Zubin Mehta, and Pierre Boulez.
In 2012, Youn had his international breakthrough singing the title role in Der fliegende Holländer under the baton of Christian Thielemann at the Bayreuth Festival, followed by re-invitations (2013-15). 2015 had him return to the Bayreuth Festival and the Deutsche Oper Berlin for various productions, as well as debuting at the Theater an der Wien in the title role of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Highlights of the recent past include i.a. Scarpia/Tosca, Créon in Enescu‘s Oedipe and Raimondo Bidebent/Lucia di Lammermoor at Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Alberich in Das Rheingold and Siegfried at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wanderer/Siegfried, Holländer/Der fliegende Holländer, Kurwenal/Tristan und Isolde, Jochanaan/Salome, Scarpia/Tosca and Méphisto/Damnation de Faust at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Jago/Otello at Semperoper Dresden, Holländer/Der fliegende Holländer and Hagen/Ring cycle at Theater an der Wien, Gunther/Götterdämmerung at Gran Theatre de Liceu Barcelona, Alberich/Das Rheingold and Holländer/Der fliegende Holländer at Teatro Real de Madrid, König Heinrich/Lohengrin at Opéra de Marseille, as well as Orest/Elektra, Wotan//Wanderer/Der Ring an 1 Abend and Scarpia/Tosca at Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Furthermore, Samuel Youn performed the roles Wanderer/Siegfried, Don Pizarro/Fidelio, Vodník/Rusalka, Scarpia/Tosca, Leporello/Don Giovanni and the title role in Bartók‘s Bluebeard’s Castle.
Engagements in the past season 19/20 included Kurwenal/Tristan und Isolde, Escamillo/Carmen at the Oper Köln and Tomsky/The Queen of Spades followed by Alberich/Götterdämmerung* at the Lyric Opera of Chicago under the direction of Andrew Davis. In the new season 20/21, Samuel Youn will initially be heard at the Opéra de Marseille as Scarpia/Tosca before returning to his parent company at the Cologne Opera with the roles of Méphistophélés/Faust and Escamillo/Carmen.
* Canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Artist Website
www.samuelyoun.netManagement
General ManagementArtist Manager

Boris Orlob
Managing Director
boris@orlob.net
Mobil: +49-172-8 51 55 14
Repertoire
Repertoire Concert
Beethoven | Symphony no. 9 |
Mahler | Symphony no. 8 |
Rossini | Stabat Mater |
Schubert | Mass No. 5 in A flat major |
Szymanowski | Stabat Mater op. 53 |
Verdi | Requiem |
Repertoire Opera
Bartók | Bluebeard's Castle | Bluebeard |
Beethoven | Fidelio | Don Fernando |
Don Pizarro | ||
Bellini | Norma | Oroveso |
Berg | Lulu | Dr. Schön |
Berlioz | La damnation de Faust | Méphisophélès |
Bizet | Carmen | Escamillo |
Britten | Billy Budd | John Claggart |
Mr. Redburn | ||
d'Albert | Tiefland | Sebastiano |
Donizetti | Lucia di Lammermoor | Raimondo Bidebent |
Dvorak | Rusalka | Wassermann |
Enescu | Oedipe | Créon |
Gounod | Faust | Méphisophélès |
Humperdinck | Hansel and Gretel | Peter |
Janacek | The Cunning Little Vixen | Háraschta |
Leoncavallo | Pagliacci | Tonio |
Mascagni | Cavalleria rusticana | Alfio |
Mozart | Die Zauberflöte | Sprecher |
Offenbach | Les contes d’Hoffmann | Villains |
Puccini | Tosca | Scarpia |
Saint-Saëns | Samson et Dalila | Le grand prêtre |
Strauss, R. | Die Frau ohne Schatten | Barak |
Geisterbote | ||
Elektra | Orest | |
Salome | Jochanaan | |
Verdi | Aida | Amonasro |
Attila | Attila | |
La forza del destino | Don Carlos di Vagas | |
Otello | Jago | |
Montano | ||
Simon Boccanegra | Paolo Albiani | |
Wagner | Das Rheingold | Alberich |
Donner | ||
Wotan | ||
Der fliegende Holländer | Holländer | |
Die Meistersinger v. Nürnberg | Hans Sachs | |
Götterdämmerung | Gunther | |
Hagen | ||
Lohengrin | Heerrufer des Königs | |
Herald | ||
Parsifal | Amfortas | |
Klingsor | ||
Siegfried | Wanderer | |
Tannhäuser | Biterolf | |
Reinmar von Zweter | ||
Tristan und Isolde | Kurwenal | |
Melot | ||
Weber | Der Freischütz | Kaspar |
Media
Images
Portrait
Photo: Jino Park
Download available
Portrait
Photo: Jino Park
Download available
Portrait
Photo: Jino Park
Download available
Portrait
Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available
Portrait
Photo: Agency
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Portrait
Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available
Portrait
Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available
Tosca Royal Opera House
Photo: Catherine Ashmore
Video
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Orquesta y Coro RTVE in Madrid
(Solo at 01'20'14):
www.rtve.es/...
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 under Myung-Whun Chung at Chorégie d'Orange
(Solo at 00'49'50):
youtube.com/...
Siegfried/Alberich at the Lyric Opera of Chicago:
youtube.com/...
Der fliegende Holländer/Holländer "Die Frist ist um". Concert in Seoul:
youtube.com/...

Photo: Jino Park
Download available

Photo: Jino Park
Download available

Photo: Jino Park
Download available

Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available

Photo: Agency
Download available

Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available

Photo: Christoph Seelbach
Download available

Photo: Catherine Ashmore
Video
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Orquesta y Coro RTVE in Madrid
(Solo at 01'20'14):
www.rtve.es/...
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 under Myung-Whun Chung at Chorégie d'Orange
(Solo at 00'49'50):
youtube.com/...
Siegfried/Alberich at the Lyric Opera of Chicago:
youtube.com/...
Der fliegende Holländer/Holländer "Die Frist ist um". Concert in Seoul:
youtube.com/...
Press
Pique Dame / Lyric Opera of Chicago / 25.02.20 / patch.com
"Youn found the best way to portray this role both vocally and artistically"
Tristan und Isolde / Oper Köln / 22.09.19 / concerti.de
"Auf Bayreuthsänger Samuel Youn ist Köln besonders stolz"
Götterdämmerung / Edinburgh International Festival / 26.08.19 / seenandheard-international.com
"Youn's superstar Alberich acted and sang with vigorous malice"
Rusalka / Oper Köln / 10.03.19 / deropernfreund.de
"spielte die Figur mit viel Verve und zeigt stimmlich einmal mehr was für ein exzellenter Sänger er ist"
Das Rheingold / Teatro Real de Madrid / 22.01.19 / operawire.com
"was arguably the highlight of the evening"
Das Rheingold / Teatro Real de Madrid / 19.01.19 / seenandheard-international.com
"flawless both vocally and dramatically"
Siegfried / Lyric Opera of Chicago / 28.11.18 / ncphoofbeat.org
"displaying masterful control and volume"
Siegfried / Lyric Opera of Chicago / 05.11.18 / chicagoclassicalreview.com
"brought huge bass tone and scary intensity to the begetter of the Ring"
Hagen (Ringtrilogie) / Theater an der Wien / 07.12.17 / faz.net
"Großartig gerät Hagens Wacht in der Gibichungenhalle"
Hagen (Ringtrilogie) / Theater an der Wien / 02.12.17 / diepresse.com
"der einzige echte Kerl mit Hirn"
Das Rheingold / Civic Opera House Chicago / 03.10.16 / chicagotribune.com
"powerful American and role debuts"