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
Festival Verdi in Busseto; Manon Lescaut in Livorno, Pisa and
Rovigo; La Bohème (Schaunard) in Naples; La Traviata
(Germont), L'Elisir d'amore (Belcore), La Boheme (Colline)
and 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 and Il Trovatore for the
AsLiCo circuit; Refice's Cecilia, L'Elisir d'amore, Pagliacc,
Traviata and Boiot's Nerone at the Lirico di Cagliari; Luisa
Miller at the Comunale di Bologna; Carmen in Kiel; Aida
in Montpellier; I due Foscari in Genoa.
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 Marcello in La Boheme at
the Carlo Felice in Genova; Conte di Luna in Trovatore in Lubjiana
with the Maggio Musicale di Firenze Orchestra and Sonora in La
fanciulla del West at the San Carlo in Naples.
May 2023