DONGWON SHIN,

TENOR

OPERA GEMS CONCERT 

GIACOMINI GALA IN CARNEGIE HALL

Korean-born tenor Dongwon Shin has been singing the dramatic operatic repertoire for the last several years, including Tabarro with Opera Carolina, Manrico in Dresden and with the Arizona Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera de Montreal, Radames at Covent Garden and at the Vienna Staatsoper to glowing reviews. He has performed the VerdiRequiem and Samson at the Teatro Verdi, Trieste, and debuted with San Francisco Opera as Radames. He also covered Dick Johnson in San Francisco’s Fanciulla. He sang his first Calaf in Turandot, which has become his signature role, with Santa Fe Opera in 2005, and has made subsequent appearances in that role with Dayton Opera, Montreal Opera, and Fort Worth Opera (“Tenor Dongwon Shin met the challenge on Saturday. His ‘Nessun dorma’ was the highlight of an incredible evening for him and for the Fort Worth Opera.”). In 2007, he made a dramatic debut with Opera Australia as Calaf, arriving the day before the opening and receiving both public and critical acclaim (“a superb Calaf with a wonderfully strong, fully Italianate voice, and brought the house down in Nessun Dorma”), and he was asked for a to return engagement two years later. Other notable performances include a “thrilling” Radames in the Savonlinna Festival’s Aida and his Italian debut as Samson in Lecce. He made his professional operatic debut in 2005 as Radames in Aida with Opera Company of Philadelphia. Dongwon has also sung with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach in the Gala Concert celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Academy of Music. Other significant engagements have included Radames in Aida with Houston Grand Opera under Carlo Rizzi, the title role in Samson etDalila with Dayton Opera, Canio in Pagliacci with Opera Delaware, Pollione in Normawith Michigan Opera Theatre, and the Verdi Requiem with the Delaware Symphony.

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Dongwon distinguished himself early in many competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (National Finalist), Loren Zachary, Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition, Caruso-Altamura International Competition, Maria Anderson Competition, Giargiari Competition (First Prize and Audience Favorite). A 2005 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, he sang the title role in Puccini’s Edgar and Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia. Before attending AVA, he received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Seoul National University and subsequently attended Indiana University.

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In May of this 2018, Dongwon returned to the U.S. for Radames in Knoxville Opera’s new production of Aida. (“Shin possesses a vocal instrument of surprising power…mastering contrasts with ease and with a reasonably attractive clarity; his opening aria ‘Celeste Aida’ was nicely handled despite its difficulty, while his Act IV tomb scene with Aida was a careful study in vocal control.” – Knoxville Arts, 05/06/2018)  Last year, he appeared as a special guest artist at Carnegie Hall in the Giuseppe Giacomini Opera Gala, singing selections from Trovatore and Aida, which were two roles that M° Giacomini sang with distinction. Coming up for Dongwon are performances of Cavaradossi, and he will continue his active concert and recital schedule in Seoul and throughout Korea. New roles coming up include Don Jose in Carmen and Rodrigue in Le Cid.