Insik Choi

The South Korean baritone studied singing with Kwangdong Kim at Yonsei University in Seoul. During his studies, he took part in several masterclasses with Helmut Deutsch, Hong Hye Kyung and Samuel Youn, among others. He was also one of the finalists of the JoongAng Music Concours competition 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 the Mandarin in ‘Turandot’, among others. In summer 2018, he took third place at 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 Cologne Opera's International Opera Studio and has been a member of the Cologne Opera ensemble since the start of the 2017-18 season. He made his house debut as the Chamberlain in Stravinsky's ‘The Nightingale’, followed by his interpretation of Prince Tarquinius in Benjamin Britten's ‘The Rape of Lucretia’. Other roles have 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 ‘Hoffmann's Tales for Children’, 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 in Cologne have included Wotan (‘Der Ring des Nibelungen für Jung und Alt’, also as part of the Cologne Opera's guest performance in South Korea), Wiedehopf in Braunfels' “Die Vögel”, The King in “Die Kluge”, Der Heger in “Rusalka”, Escamillo in “Carmen”, Chorèbe in ‘Les Troyens’, Marcello in ‘La Bohème’, Lord Enrico Ashton in ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’, The One-Eyed Man in ‘Die Frau ohne Schatten’, Belcore in ‘Der Liebestrank’ and Zurga in ‘Die Perlenfischer’. He also took on this role in a concert performance with the Antonio Vivaldi Orchestra in Italy. He last sang Frank in ‘Die tote Stadt’ at the Korean National Opera

In the current season, Insik Choi is singing Orest in ‘Elektra’, Escamillo in ‘Carmen’, Enrico in ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ and Marcello in ‘La Bohème’ at the Cologne Opera.