The “astonishing countertenor” (New York Times) Kangmin Justin Kim is among the most sought-after singers of his voice type, acclaimed for his artistry in the Baroque repertoire, Mozart roles, and contemporary opera.
In the summer of 2022, the Korean-American mezzo-sopranist, now a naturalized French citizen, created the role of Song Liling in the world premiere of M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera, earning rave reviews for his “alluring, ringing tone” and “sensitivity as an actor” (New York Times). A milestone earlier in his career came in 2019, when he made his Royal Opera House debut as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro – the first male singer to appear in the role on that stage.
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include his Zurich Opera debut as Sesto in a new production of Giulio Cesare, his Philadelphia Opera debut as the Painter in the Vivaldi pasticcio The Seasons, returns to Staatsoper Hamburg as Despina in Così fan tutte and to the National Theatre Brno as Ruggiero in Alcina, and a concert in the American Songbook series at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Recent engagements have included Natasha in Tri Sestri at the Salzburg Festival; house debuts at Boston Lyric Opera (Four Seasons), Dallas Opera (Hansel in Hansel and Gretel), and Opéra du Rhin (Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea); as well as multiple appearances at Staatsoper Hamburg, both as Annio (La clemenza di Tito), Despina, and in the world premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Die dunkle Seite des Mondes. He has sung Sesto in a new production of Giulio Cesare at the Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and in Luxembourg, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne. Other recent highlights include M. Butterfly at London’s Barbican Hall; Ruggiero (Orlando furioso) at Teatro La Fenice; Nerone with English Concert Opera in Madrid and Barcelona; and the Witch (Hansel and Gretel) in Wiesbaden.
Past performances further include Nerone at Staatsoper Berlin, the Salzburg Festival, Teatro La Fenice, and in New York, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Edinburgh, and Lucerne; Annio at Theater an der Wien; Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) at Oper Köln; Orfeo (Il Parnasso in festa), Epitide (La Merope), and Amanzio (Il Giustino) at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam; Ottone (La Griselda), Gilade (Farnace), and Hyacinthus (Apollo et Hyacinthus) at Teatro La Fenice. He also made debuts at Wiener Staatsoper in Henze’s Das verratene Meer, at Glyndebourne in Giulio Cesare (Nireno), and at Teatro San Carlo Naples in Britten’s Canticles.
Born in South Korea and raised in Evanston, Kangmin Justin Kim now lives in Paris. He studied voice, opera, and musical theater at Northwestern University in Evanston and the Royal Academy of Music in London. His professional operatic debut in 2013 was soon followed by performances as Orlofsky at Opéra Comique and Oreste (La Belle Hélène) at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
He has collaborated with conductors including Leonardo García Alarcón, Harry Bicket, Gianluca Capuano, William Christie, Diego Fasolis, Adam Fischer, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Emmanuelle Haïm, Andrea Marcon, Marc Minkowski, Raphaël Pichon, Emmanuel Villaume, Omer Meir Wellber, and Simone Young.
