[On Stage] M Artist Park Juseong: "Seeing 'Carmen' in My First Year of High School Changed My Life"

Solo Recital at Mapo Art Center on April 23
Songs by Mahler and Strauss... Opera Arias Included

"When I was a first-year high school student, I was shocked after watching the opera 'Carmen' at the Seoul Arts Center with a ticket given to me by a friend's father. Until then, I had dreamed of becoming a film director or a producer and had never imagined myself singing, but I fell in love with singing, and that's how I became a vocalist."

Baritone Park Juseong, 32, who was selected as the resident musician "M Artist" of the Mapo Cultural Foundation, said at a press conference held at the Mapo Art Center on April 18 that an unexpected opportunity to see his first opera changed his life. The friend's father who gave him the ticket at the time is Park Ingeon, the current director of the National Theater of Korea.

The music from Carmen is extremely famous, but in most cases, people are not aware that it is from Carmen when they first hear it. Park Juseong was no exception. He said, "I realized it was music I had often heard in commercials." Until he saw Carmen, he had little knowledge of opera. However, after seeing his first opera, he was instantly captivated. "The stage was so beautiful, and there were dancers and even a children's choir. I thought, 'So this kind of art exists, too.'"

Baritone Park Juseong is expressing his feelings about being selected as the resident musician "M Artist" of the Mapo Cultural Foundation at a press conference held at the Mapo Art Center on the 18th.
Photo by Mapo Cultural Foundation

Although he entered the world of opera late, Park Juseong's talent blossomed later as well. "It took me three tries to get into university, and even then, I was not a standout student. In college, I was actually more attracted to choral singing than solo performances, so I participated in more choir activities. I also did not have an impressive record in competitions in Korea."

Park Juseong said that he tends to get very stressed when participating in competitions. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to many competitions moving their practical evaluations online, he applied to many competitions and gained new opportunities.

In 2021, he became the first Korean to be selected as a Young Artist at the Vienna State Opera in Austria. He has since continued his association with the Vienna State Opera, working as a contracted soloist. Park Juseong recalled, "When I was selected as a Young Artist at the Vienna State Opera, the artistic director watched my video and said, 'There doesn't seem to be anything outstanding about you, but strangely, you are charming and memorable, so I want to work with you.' I wasn't sure if that was an insult or a compliment, but that's how I began my career," he said with a laugh.

Park Juseong solidified his presence on the world stage by reaching the finals of the "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World" competition in 2021, winning third place at the "Operalia" international vocal competition hosted by Placido Domingo in the same year, and taking second place at the "Helmut Deutsch" German Lied Competition in Vienna, Austria in 2023.

On April 1, he returned to Korea after performing the role of Masetto in Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" at the Vienna State Opera.

"Don Giovanni" is one of Mozart's representative operas. Mozart collaborated with Italian playwright Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749-1838) on "Don Giovanni," "The Marriage of Figaro," and "Cos? fan tutte." These three works are collectively known as the "Da Ponte Trilogy." The Da Ponte Trilogy is renowned for its wit and sharp social satire, making them some of Mozart's most celebrated operas.

Park Juseong said, "I've loved the Da Ponte Trilogy since my university days," adding, "They're works that audiences really enjoy, so I want to perform them as much as possible."

He named the works of Richard Strauss as those he would most like to perform in Korea in the future. Park Juseong said, "Strauss operas are not often performed in Korea, but I hope I will be invited to sing when German-language works, especially Strauss operas, are staged." He added, "Although it's difficult for me now, I would like to play the role of Jochanaan in Strauss's 'Salome' when I'm older, and if I dare to dream bigger, I would also like to try the role of Scarpia in Puccini's 'Tosca.'"

Baritone Park Juseong, who was selected as the resident musician 'M Artst' of the Mapo Cultural Foundation, is taking a commemorative photo at the press conference held at the Mapo Art Center on the 18th.
Photo by Mapo Cultural Foundation

As an M Artist, Park Juseong will hold three solo recitals this year. He will perform solo recitals at the Mapo Art Center on April 23 and December 6, and will also present an outdoor stage on August 30 during the 10th M Classic Festival.

At the performance on April 23, the first half will feature songs by Mahler and Strauss, while the second half will include various opera arias. Park Juseong explained, "The songs in the first half are rarely performed in Korea, so I wanted to introduce them and share the charm of German Lied. The arias in the second half are pieces that represent me as an artist."

Park Juseong said, "I want to share a wide range of music with the public, from opera arias to Lied (German art songs) and oratorios from different eras. I especially love Lied and hope to share the beauty of the German language with as many people as possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.