Born in Seoul he started his studies in singing in Han-Yang under the guidance of the baritone Sunghyun Ko and graduated in 2013.

He then moved to Italy to specialize for his Master degree at the Conservatory “L. Cherubini” in Florence under the guidance of Donatella Debolini. He now collaborates with the Accademia at the Opera in Florence.

Mr. Kim was finalist at the 2016 International Contest “Francisco Viñas” and at the International Contest for opera singers in Linz, Austria. Mr. Kim is winner of important prizes: first prize at the National Contest for lyric singer ”Sung-Jung” and National Opera in Seoul and other important prizes in his country; first Prize at the International Contest ”Cappuccili, Patanè, Respighi” (2015); first Prize and Special Prizes at the International Lyric Contest ”Giulio Neri” in Torrita di Siena (2016); first Prize and Special Prizes at the International Contest for Young Opera Singers ”Riccardo Zandonai” in Riva del Garda (2016); Second Prize at the “Clip” Contest in Portofino (2016); Second Prize at the ”Spiros Argiris” Contest in Sarzana (2016); Third Prize at the ”Iris Adami Corradetti” Lyric International Contest (2016); first prize at the ”Labò” Contest in Piacenza (2017) and third prize at the prestigious contest ”Operalia” under Placido Domingo in Astana.

Also in Florence, he specialized at the Accademia del Teatro del Maggio, where he took part in numerous productions as a soloist, such as: Il Vento della Sera (by J. Offenbach), La notte delle streghe, Carmen, Pagliacci, La Risurrezione di Alfano.

Leon Kim made his debut in Korea in the roles of Rigoletto and Masetto (Don Giovanni).

His past engagements include: I Masnadieri (Francesco) at the Verdi Festival in Busseto; Manon Lescaut in Livorno, Pisa and Rovigo; La Bohème (Schaunard) in Naples, Genoa and Cagliari; La Traviata (Germont) in Trieste, Cagliari, Genoa and Dublin; Macbeth in Trieste; Simon Boccanegra (Paolo) in Bologna, Genoa and Montpellier; Mala Vita/ L'Oracolo (Giordano/ Leoni) and Edmea at the Wexford Festival; Un ballo in maschera (Renato) in Parma; Aida for the AsLiCo circuit and in Montpellier; Il Trovatore for the AsLiCo circuit and in Ljubljana with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Refice's Cecilia, L'Elisir d'amore, Pagliacci and Boito's Nerone at the Lirico in Cagliari; Luisa Miller at the Comunale in Bologna; Carmen in Kiel; I due Foscari in Genoa; La Forza del destino in Montpellier and Toulon; and Rigoletto at the Maggio Musicale in Florence.

Also active in the concert field, he performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Florence and Turin (Mi.To); he was the protagonist of a Gala concert organised by the Teatro Regio in Parma in the splendid setting of the Teatro Farnese, in the Christmas concert organised by the Teatro Verdi in Trieste and in Carmina Burana in Cagliari.

Upcoming engagements will see him as Sonora in Puccini's La fanciulla del West at the San Carlo in Naples and as Amonasro in Verdi's Aida at the Maggio Musicale in Florence.

April 2025