Joo Won Kang

South Korean baritone Joo Won Kang made his Metropolitan Opera debut last season as Marcello in La bohème. He also appeared in the company's new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlos. This season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Germont in La traviata, a role he also sings with Seattle Opera in the spring of 2024.

Mr. Kang has appeared in leading roles in opera companies throughout the United States, including San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Arizona Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and Utah Opera. Recent roles include such as Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Germont in La traviata, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, the title role in Eugene Onegin, and Ping in Turandot. He sang the role of Chou En-lai in John Adams' Nixon in China with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by the composer, and made his New York City Opera debut as Manfredo in L'amore dei tre re.

At the Wexford Festival, he sang the leading baritone roles in two rare operas, Donizetti's Maria de Rudenz and Leoni's L'Oracolo, and performed in recital.

Mr. Kang has won top prizes in vocal competitions such as the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, Opera Index Vocal Competition, McCammon Competition and Giulio Gari International Competition.