Insik Choi

The South Korean baritone studied singing with Kwangdong Kim at Yonsei University in Seoul. During his studies he already took part in several masterclasses, among others with Helmut Deutsch, Hong Hye Kyung and Samuel Youn. He was also one of the finalists of the JoongAng Music Concours in March 2015.

Insik Choi has already appeared on the opera stage in South Korea as Conte Almaviva in Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro", Marcello in Puccini's "La Bohème" and as the Mandarin in "Turandot". In the summer of 2018, he came third in the "Ópera de Tenerife international singing competition" and also won the audience prize. In 2023, Insik Choi won 1st prize and the Audience Award at the Vincerò World Singing Competition in Verona.

From 2015 to 2017 he was a member of the International Opera Studio of Oper Köln and since the beginning of the 2017.18 season he has been an ensemble member of Oper Köln. He made his house debut as Chamberlain in Stravinsky's "The Nightingale", followed by his interpretation of Prince Tarquinius in Benjamin Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia". Other roles included the title role in Purcell's "King Arthur", several roles in "Die Heinzelmännchen zu Köln", The King in Orff's "Die Kluge", The Phantom in “Hoffmanns Erzählungen für Kinder", Marcello in "La Bohème", Don Fernando in "Fidelio", Barone Douphol in "La Traviata", Monsieur de Brétigny in Jules Massenet's "Manon", Heger in "Rusalka", Orphée / Violin Teacher in "Je suis Jacques" and the Mandarin in "Turandot".

His most recent roles include Wotan ("Das Rheingold for Young and Old", "Die Walküre for Young and Old"), Der Wanderer ("Siegfried for Young and Old") and Alberich ("Götterdämmerung for Young and Old"), as well as Wiedehopf in Braunfels' "Die Vögel", Der König in "Die Kluge", Der Heger in "Rusalka", Escamillo in "Carmen" and Chorèbe in "Les Troyens". He also sang Wotan in "Das Rheingold für Jung und Alt" and "Die Walküre für Jung und Alt" as part of Oper Köln’s guest performance in South Korea.

In the 2022.23 season he will perform the roles of Chorèbe in "Les Troyens", Mirza / Myrtenmirza in the German premiere of "The Song of Magic Island", Marcello in "La Bohème", Devil in "Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren", and Lord Enrico Ashton in "Lucia di Lammermoor".