- 10% off for Weiwuying Lifestyle member
- Weiwuying Youth member: 25% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
※ID and Youth membership card are required at the door. - Weiwuying Unlimited member: 30% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
- For details, please see Weiwuying Members Benefit
[2025 Weiwuying International Music Festival] Countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim and Alphonse CEMIN in Recital-From Baroque to Cabaret
In 2023, Kangmin Justin KIM won the Dallas Opera's "Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award" for his role as the Hansel in the classic fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel. In 2024, he will take the lead at the Opéra de Lille, performing the role of the beautiful young man Acis in Italian composer Nicola PORPORA's Polifemo. Justin is dazzling the world's opera stages with his bright, agile, and deeply expressive countertenor voice.
Born in 1988, Justin moved from Gimhae, South Korea, to the United States at the age of 12, growing up in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago. Initially a computer science major at Northwestern University, he couldn't resist his love for singing and switched his focus to music in his senior year. Originally trained as a tenor, it was his main instructor, Theresa BRANCACCIO, who encouraged him to explore the world of countertenor, which Justin described as "the world in Technicolor," and he discovered it was truly his calling.
During his student days, he recorded performance videos himself, which included multiple compelling impersonations of Cecilia BARTOLI, one of the most renowned mezzo-sopranos of our time. These videos gained him significant attention online. After graduating, he continued his studies in the UK, earning a master's degree in vocal performance from the Royal Academy of Music. His singing career steadily progressed, and in 2013, he performed in Francesco CAVALLI's Elena at the prestigious Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in southern France. The following year, he played the trouser role of Prince Orlofsky in Johann STRAUSS II's Die Fledermaus at the Opéra Comique in Paris. His groundbreaking moment came in 2019 when he became the first male singer to perform the role of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at Covent Garden, a role traditionally sung by women, offering a fresh interpretation.
His adeptness at navigating roles of different genders made him the perfect choice for the Santa Fe Opera's 2022 world premiere of M. Butterfly, an opera that explores the complex relationship between a French diplomat and a Peking opera singer. Justin was cast as the lead, SONG Li-ling, a character who disguises himself as a woman and captivates men, showcasing his exceptional ability to embody duality on stage.
The pianist for this performance, Alphonse CEMIN, hails from France, where he graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris. In recent years, he has expanded from performing as an instrumentalist to also conducting, leading his chamber ensemble Le Balcon in both classic operas and new works. His 2023 production of Gioachino ROSSINI's La Cenerentola was staged at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Known for delicate touch and rich emotional expression, CEMIN's style harmonizes perfectly with Justin's. In fact, the two have been close friends for many years. Featuring their collaboration, this recital promises to be stunning.
Pre-talk
2025/4/12(Sat)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby
Program
Selections of MONTEVERDI vocal works
N. A. PORPORA: "Alto Giove"
G. F. HÄNDEL : "Con l'ali di Costanza"
G. F. HÄNDEL: "Lascia la spina"
F. J. M. POULENC: Fiançailles Pour Rire
Stephen SONDHEIM
"Losing My Mind" from Follies
"Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods
"Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music
Jason Robert BROWN
"I'm Not Afraid of Anything" from Songs for a New World
"Stars and the Moon" from Songs for a New World
The presenter and performers reserve the right to change the repertoire.
Creative and Production Team
Countertenor｜Kangmin Justin KIM
Piano｜Alphonse CEMIN
Artists Introduction
Countertenor｜Kangmin Justin KIM
Combining "STRIKING VOCAL PURITY" (Financial Times) with "TERRIFYING INTENSITY" (New York Times)
The "astonishing countertenor" (New York Times) Kangmin Justin KIM is one of the most sought-after singers of his voice type, having earned accolades in roles of the Baroque repertoire, contemporary music and in MOZART's trouser parts.
In summer of 2022, the Korean-American singer created the role of SONG Li-ling in the world premiere of M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera, receiving rave reviews for his "alluring, ringing tone" and his "sensitivity as an actor" (New York Times). Another breakthrough performance was his 2019 debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where the mezzo-sopranist wrote history as the first male singer to appear as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro on this prestigious stage.
In the 2022/23 season, Justin makes his role and house debut at The Dallas Opera and as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, his house debut at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg as Nerone in a new production of L'incoronazione di Poppea, with later performances in Mulhouse and Colmar, as well as his role debuts as Amanzio in Vivaldi's Il Giustino with La Cetra in Basel and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, as Piacere in Handel's Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno at the Opéra de Lausanne with Diego Fasolis and I Barocchisti, as Aristeo in Sartorio's Orfeo at the Opéra National de Montpellier and as Cleopatra in Hasse's Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra at Haymarket Opera in Chicago. Justin also returns to the Teatro La Fenice of Venice as Hyacinthus in a new production of MOZART's Apollo et Hyacinthus and to the Janáček Theatre of Brno as Ruggiero in Alcina. In concert, he appears at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele with the SWR Symphonieorchester conducted by Václav Luks, at the Liszt Academy in Budapest in a Baroque concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Carmina Burana with Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra and at the Tongyeong International Music Festival. Between performances, Justin will return to his alma mater of Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University to give a masterclass.
Other recent performances include house debuts at the Wiener Staatsoper in a new production of Henze's Das verratene Meer, at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin as Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and at the Theater an der Wien as Annio in La clemenza di Tito. The 2021-2022 season saw Justin's role debuts as Knusperhexe in Hänsel und Gretel at Staatstheater Wiesbaden, as Epitide in Giacomelli's La Merope at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in Basel with La Cetra and Andrea Marcon and as Ottone in Vivaldi's La Griselda for Teatro La Fenice. He also sang Ruggiero in Handel's Alcina with Collegium 1704 at Narodní Divadlo Brno and Opéra Royal de Versailles which earned him a Thálie Award nomination, the title role in the pasticcio Siface at Opera Rara Kraków, Gilade in Farnace at the Teatro La Fenice, Eustazio in Rinaldo at the Opéra de Lausanne and a Gala concert streamed from the Opéra Comique of Paris.
He has also sung Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea and Speranza in L'Orfeo at the Salzburg Festival, New York Lincoln Center, Philharmonie of Paris and Berlin, Harris Theatre in Chicago, Edinburgh Festival, Lucerne Festival and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Cesare in Vivaldi's Catone in Utica and Orlofsky in a new production of Die Fledermaus at the Oper Köln, Orfeo in Handel's Parnasso in festa at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Nireno in Sir David McVicar's iconic production of Giulio Cesare for his Glyndebourne debut conducted by William Christie, Ruggiero in Alcina at Opéra de Nancy, Idamante in Idomeneo and Hamor in Jephtha in Wiesbaden, and Idelberto in Lotario at Konzert Theater Bern. He made his debut at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples in Britten's Canticles alongside Ian Bostridge, performed Carmina Burana with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Barzane in Vivaldi's Arsilda with the Collegium 1704 in Bratislava, Caen, Lille, Luxembourg and Versailles, Speranza in L'Orfeo at the Opéra de Dijon, and Romeo in Zingarelli's Giulietta e Romeo at the Rokokotheater of Schwetzingen.
Other successes since his professional operatic debut in 2013 include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus for his Parisian debut at the Opéra Comique conducted by Marc Minkowski, Oreste in La Belle Hélène at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito at the Opéra de Montpellier, and Idamante in Idomeneo at the Stadttheater Gießen under the baton of Michael Hofstetter. As an ensemble member of Theater Heidelberg, he sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, title role in Kalitzke's Pym and Enea in the Handel / Vinci pasticcio Didone abbandonata at the Handel Festival Halle and in Schwetzingen.
He has collaborated with such prestigious conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Diego Fasolis, Andrea Marcon, William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Leonardo García Alarcón and Simone Young.
Piano｜Alphonse CEMIN
After studying piano and flute at the CNR in Boulogne-Billancourt and Paris, Alphonse CEMIN attended the CNSM in Paris, where he took classes in analysis, piano accompaniment, chamber music, melody, and lieder. He is one of the founders of the ensemble Le Balcon, and takes an active part in all its projects as a pianist, conductor, artistic advisor, or musical director.
Recent engagements include La Cenerentola (Rossini) at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées and the Opéra de Rouen, Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck) at the Opéra de Nancy. Alphonse's 2023/24 season will open with I Puritani (Bellini) at the Olympia Maria Callas Theatre in Athens.
Other major productions include Les Indes galantes (Rameau) and Tomás BORDALEJO's Bureau 470 at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, George Benjamin's Into The Little Hill at the Théâtre de l'Athénée and the Opéra de Lille, and Michaël LEVINAS' La Métamorphose at the Festival Musica.
Alphonse has assisted conductors such as Maxime PASCAL, Raphaël PICHON, Esa-Pekka SALONEN, Kent NAGANO, George BENJAMIN, Marc MINKOWSKI, Daniel HARDING, Pablo HERAS-CASADO, Marc-André DALBAVIE and has worked at the Salzburger Festspiele, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Munich Opera, the Capitole de Toulouse and the Opéra Comique.
As a pianist, Alphonse regularly performs in recital with Julie FUCHS, with whom he records early melodies by Mahler and Debussy, as well as with singers such as Damien PASS, Jenny DAVIET, Stanislas de BARBEYRAC, Marianne CREBASSA, Léa TROMMENSCHLAGER and Nahuel di PIERRO. He also plays with chamber music partners (Jean-Guihen QUEYRAS, Tabea ZIMMERMANN, the Van Kuijk[1] and Zaïde quartets...) and orchestras and ensembles (Ensemble intercontemporain, Mahler Chamber Orchestra...).
Alphonse CEMIN is the musical director of the Lundis MUSICAUX at the Théâtre de l'Athénée, where Dame Felicity Lott, Christoph PRÉGARDIEN, Sandrine PIAU, Nahuel Di PIERRO, Malcolm MARTINEAU, Michael SPYRES, Dorothea RÖSCHMANN, Julia KLEITER, Julius DRAKE have performed.
In 2010 Alphonse was the HSBC laureate pianist of the academy of the Aix-en-Provence festival and in 2013 he received the interpretation prize of the Stockhausen Kurse Kürten. In 2017 he received the Gabriel Dussurget Prize of the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
 |
Cultural Development Partner
 |
[2025 Weiwuying International Music Festival] Countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim and Alphonse CEMIN in Recital-From Baroque to Cabaret
In 2023, Kangmin Justin KIM won the Dallas Opera's "Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award" for his role as the Hansel in the classic fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel. In 2024, he will take the lead at the Opéra de Lille, performing the role of the beautiful young man Acis in Italian composer Nicola PORPORA's Polifemo. Justin is dazzling the world's opera stages with his bright, agile, and deeply expressive countertenor voice.
Born in 1988, Justin moved from Gimhae, South Korea, to the United States at the age of 12, growing up in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago. Initially a computer science major at Northwestern University, he couldn't resist his love for singing and switched his focus to music in his senior year. Originally trained as a tenor, it was his main instructor, Theresa BRANCACCIO, who encouraged him to explore the world of countertenor, which Justin described as "the world in Technicolor," and he discovered it was truly his calling.
During his student days, he recorded performance videos himself, which included multiple compelling impersonations of Cecilia BARTOLI, one of the most renowned mezzo-sopranos of our time. These videos gained him significant attention online. After graduating, he continued his studies in the UK, earning a master's degree in vocal performance from the Royal Academy of Music. His singing career steadily progressed, and in 2013, he performed in Francesco CAVALLI's Elena at the prestigious Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in southern France. The following year, he played the trouser role of Prince Orlofsky in Johann STRAUSS II's Die Fledermaus at the Opéra Comique in Paris. His groundbreaking moment came in 2019 when he became the first male singer to perform the role of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at Covent Garden, a role traditionally sung by women, offering a fresh interpretation.
His adeptness at navigating roles of different genders made him the perfect choice for the Santa Fe Opera's 2022 world premiere of M. Butterfly, an opera that explores the complex relationship between a French diplomat and a Peking opera singer. Justin was cast as the lead, SONG Li-ling, a character who disguises himself as a woman and captivates men, showcasing his exceptional ability to embody duality on stage.
The pianist for this performance, Alphonse CEMIN, hails from France, where he graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris. In recent years, he has expanded from performing as an instrumentalist to also conducting, leading his chamber ensemble Le Balcon in both classic operas and new works. His 2023 production of Gioachino ROSSINI's La Cenerentola was staged at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Known for delicate touch and rich emotional expression, CEMIN's style harmonizes perfectly with Justin's. In fact, the two have been close friends for many years. Featuring their collaboration, this recital promises to be stunning.
Pre-talk
2025/4/12(Sat)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby
Program
Selections of MONTEVERDI vocal works
N. A. PORPORA: "Alto Giove"
G. F. HÄNDEL : "Con l'ali di Costanza"
G. F. HÄNDEL: "Lascia la spina"
F. J. M. POULENC: Fiançailles Pour Rire
Stephen SONDHEIM
"Losing My Mind" from Follies
"Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods
"Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music
Jason Robert BROWN
"I'm Not Afraid of Anything" from Songs for a New World
"Stars and the Moon" from Songs for a New World
The presenter and performers reserve the right to change the repertoire.
Creative and Production Team
Countertenor｜Kangmin Justin KIM
Piano｜Alphonse CEMIN
Artists Introduction
Countertenor｜Kangmin Justin KIM
Combining "STRIKING VOCAL PURITY" (Financial Times) with "TERRIFYING INTENSITY" (New York Times)
The "astonishing countertenor" (New York Times) Kangmin Justin KIM is one of the most sought-after singers of his voice type, having earned accolades in roles of the Baroque repertoire, contemporary music and in MOZART's trouser parts.
In summer of 2022, the Korean-American singer created the role of SONG Li-ling in the world premiere of M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera, receiving rave reviews for his "alluring, ringing tone" and his "sensitivity as an actor" (New York Times). Another breakthrough performance was his 2019 debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where the mezzo-sopranist wrote history as the first male singer to appear as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro on this prestigious stage.
In the 2022/23 season, Justin makes his role and house debut at The Dallas Opera and as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, his house debut at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg as Nerone in a new production of L'incoronazione di Poppea, with later performances in Mulhouse and Colmar, as well as his role debuts as Amanzio in Vivaldi's Il Giustino with La Cetra in Basel and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, as Piacere in Handel's Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno at the Opéra de Lausanne with Diego Fasolis and I Barocchisti, as Aristeo in Sartorio's Orfeo at the Opéra National de Montpellier and as Cleopatra in Hasse's Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra at Haymarket Opera in Chicago. Justin also returns to the Teatro La Fenice of Venice as Hyacinthus in a new production of MOZART's Apollo et Hyacinthus and to the Janáček Theatre of Brno as Ruggiero in Alcina. In concert, he appears at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele with the SWR Symphonieorchester conducted by Václav Luks, at the Liszt Academy in Budapest in a Baroque concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Carmina Burana with Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra and at the Tongyeong International Music Festival. Between performances, Justin will return to his alma mater of Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University to give a masterclass.
Other recent performances include house debuts at the Wiener Staatsoper in a new production of Henze's Das verratene Meer, at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin as Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and at the Theater an der Wien as Annio in La clemenza di Tito. The 2021-2022 season saw Justin's role debuts as Knusperhexe in Hänsel und Gretel at Staatstheater Wiesbaden, as Epitide in Giacomelli's La Merope at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in Basel with La Cetra and Andrea Marcon and as Ottone in Vivaldi's La Griselda for Teatro La Fenice. He also sang Ruggiero in Handel's Alcina with Collegium 1704 at Narodní Divadlo Brno and Opéra Royal de Versailles which earned him a Thálie Award nomination, the title role in the pasticcio Siface at Opera Rara Kraków, Gilade in Farnace at the Teatro La Fenice, Eustazio in Rinaldo at the Opéra de Lausanne and a Gala concert streamed from the Opéra Comique of Paris.
He has also sung Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea and Speranza in L'Orfeo at the Salzburg Festival, New York Lincoln Center, Philharmonie of Paris and Berlin, Harris Theatre in Chicago, Edinburgh Festival, Lucerne Festival and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Cesare in Vivaldi's Catone in Utica and Orlofsky in a new production of Die Fledermaus at the Oper Köln, Orfeo in Handel's Parnasso in festa at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Nireno in Sir David McVicar's iconic production of Giulio Cesare for his Glyndebourne debut conducted by William Christie, Ruggiero in Alcina at Opéra de Nancy, Idamante in Idomeneo and Hamor in Jephtha in Wiesbaden, and Idelberto in Lotario at Konzert Theater Bern. He made his debut at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples in Britten's Canticles alongside Ian Bostridge, performed Carmina Burana with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Barzane in Vivaldi's Arsilda with the Collegium 1704 in Bratislava, Caen, Lille, Luxembourg and Versailles, Speranza in L'Orfeo at the Opéra de Dijon, and Romeo in Zingarelli's Giulietta e Romeo at the Rokokotheater of Schwetzingen.
Other successes since his professional operatic debut in 2013 include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus for his Parisian debut at the Opéra Comique conducted by Marc Minkowski, Oreste in La Belle Hélène at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito at the Opéra de Montpellier, and Idamante in Idomeneo at the Stadttheater Gießen under the baton of Michael Hofstetter. As an ensemble member of Theater Heidelberg, he sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, title role in Kalitzke's Pym and Enea in the Handel / Vinci pasticcio Didone abbandonata at the Handel Festival Halle and in Schwetzingen.
He has collaborated with such prestigious conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Diego Fasolis, Andrea Marcon, William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Leonardo García Alarcón and Simone Young.
Piano｜Alphonse CEMIN
After studying piano and flute at the CNR in Boulogne-Billancourt and Paris, Alphonse CEMIN attended the CNSM in Paris, where he took classes in analysis, piano accompaniment, chamber music, melody, and lieder. He is one of the founders of the ensemble Le Balcon, and takes an active part in all its projects as a pianist, conductor, artistic advisor, or musical director.
Recent engagements include La Cenerentola (Rossini) at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées and the Opéra de Rouen, Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck) at the Opéra de Nancy. Alphonse's 2023/24 season will open with I Puritani (Bellini) at the Olympia Maria Callas Theatre in Athens.
Other major productions include Les Indes galantes (Rameau) and Tomás BORDALEJO's Bureau 470 at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, George Benjamin's Into The Little Hill at the Théâtre de l'Athénée and the Opéra de Lille, and Michaël LEVINAS' La Métamorphose at the Festival Musica.
Alphonse has assisted conductors such as Maxime PASCAL, Raphaël PICHON, Esa-Pekka SALONEN, Kent NAGANO, George BENJAMIN, Marc MINKOWSKI, Daniel HARDING, Pablo HERAS-CASADO, Marc-André DALBAVIE and has worked at the Salzburger Festspiele, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Munich Opera, the Capitole de Toulouse and the Opéra Comique.
As a pianist, Alphonse regularly performs in recital with Julie FUCHS, with whom he records early melodies by Mahler and Debussy, as well as with singers such as Damien PASS, Jenny DAVIET, Stanislas de BARBEYRAC, Marianne CREBASSA, Léa TROMMENSCHLAGER and Nahuel di PIERRO. He also plays with chamber music partners (Jean-Guihen QUEYRAS, Tabea ZIMMERMANN, the Van Kuijk[1] and Zaïde quartets...) and orchestras and ensembles (Ensemble intercontemporain, Mahler Chamber Orchestra...).
Alphonse CEMIN is the musical director of the Lundis MUSICAUX at the Théâtre de l'Athénée, where Dame Felicity Lott, Christoph PRÉGARDIEN, Sandrine PIAU, Nahuel Di PIERRO, Malcolm MARTINEAU, Michael SPYRES, Dorothea RÖSCHMANN, Julia KLEITER, Julius DRAKE have performed.
In 2010 Alphonse was the HSBC laureate pianist of the academy of the Aix-en-Provence festival and in 2013 he received the interpretation prize of the Stockhausen Kurse Kürten. In 2017 he received the Gabriel Dussurget Prize of the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
|
Cultural Development Partner
|
- 10% off for Weiwuying Lifestyle member
- Weiwuying Youth member: 25% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
※ID and Youth membership card are required at the door. - Weiwuying Unlimited member: 30% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
- For details, please see Weiwuying Members Benefit
