Sookhyung Park, Soprano

Pacific Opera Victoria
Violetta Valéry in La traviata
October, 2009

Sookhyung Park made her debut with Pacific Opera Victoria in the role of Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (2006). In 2007 she returned to sing the title role in Richard Strauss's Daphne, and in 2009 she takes on the role of Violetta in POV's La traviata.

Sookhyung has made her mark as a coloratura soprano whose performances are notable for unusual beauty of voice, extraordinary range, astonishing agility and sincere musical artistry. Ms. Park received her operatic training at the Professional Studies Program of Mannes College of Music. She recently debuted with Opera at Florham's Concert Series, with the Center for Contemporary Opera at Carnegie Hall, with Yonsei Opera as Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, and with Opera Ontario as Blondchen in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. She was praised by critics in The Record, View Magazine and The Globe & Mail, among others, for her “round-toned, agile soprano voice”, the “refinement and poise” of her singing, and “her naturalness and spontaneous liveliness on stage”.

During the 2008-2009 season she sang Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor for Organizacion Para Las Artes in Guatemala, and Messiahs with the Grand Philharmonic Choir of Kitchener and the Bach Elgar Choir of Hamilton.

During the 2007-2008 season she sang Elvira in L'Italiana in Algeri for Vancouver Opera, Haydn's Die Schöpfung with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and appeared in recital for the Elora Festival.

Engagements during the 2005-2006 season included Mozart's Mass in C minor with the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir and Chorus Niagara.

Ms. Park has been a prizewinner in many distinguished music competitions including the 9th Annual Competition of the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the International Opera Singers Competition (Second Place Award, 2003), Vocal Excellence Competition (First Place Award, 2003) and the 15th Annual Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition (Second Place Award, 2002). Further recognition has come from the National Opera Association Vocal Competition (First Place Award, 2002), Canadian Lyric International Competition, Regional Audition of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the NATS Auditions and the Toni Cavelti Endowment Trust Fund Award from the Vancouver Opera Foundation.

Her stage repertoire encompasses Despina in Così fan tutte, Marie in La fille du régiment, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Anne in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

In addition to her opera performances, she has been heard in Christus am Ölberge (Beethoven), Cantata BWV 84 (J.S. Bach), Messiah (Handel), Exultate Jubilate (Mozart), and Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile (Charles Gounod).

Ms. Park holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Yonsei University in Seoul and studied at Mannes College of Music in New York with Bonnie Hamilton. She studied at the University of British Columbia as an Advanced Guest Student with Nancy Hermiston and with Lorna McDonald at the University of Toronto.

Sookhyung Park sang a heartfelt, psychologically concentrated Daphne, riding the swirling, euphoric orchestra lines with never a crease in the pearly sheen of her lovely sound. There are many reasons to see this opera, but Park is the biggest one.
Globe and Mail, Elissa Poole, Review of POV's Daphne, 2007