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discipline = "Baritone"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1557326408/media/2019/05/JooWonKang.jpg"
primary_image_credit = ""
related_companies = ["scene/companies/minnesota-opera.md", "scene/companies/opera-theatre-of-st-louis.md", "scene/companies/arizona-opera.md", "scene/companies/wolf-trap-opera.md", "scene/companies/san-francisco-opera.md", "scene/companies/seattle-opera.md", "scene/companies/merola-opera-program.md"]
slug = "joo-won-kang"
social_media = []
title = "Joo Won Kang"
website = ""

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South Korean baritone Joo Won Kang continues to establish himself as one of the most talented baritones today, popular both with audience and critics.

As the 2017-2018 season commences, Mr. Kang returns to San Francisco Opera, as Ping in the company’s opening-night production of _Turandot_. A member of the 2011 Merola Opera Program, he was later an Adler Fellow and appeared onstage at SFO in various roles, including Captain Gardiner in Jake Heggie’s _Moby Dick_, which was televised nationally on PBS and released on DVD. Later this season will mark Mr. Kang’s company debuts with Arizona Opera (Figaro in _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_) and Opera Theatre of St. Louis (Germont in _La Traviata_).

Highlights of Mr. Kang’s 2016-2017 season included his debut at Ireland’s Wexford Festival, where he sang the leading role of Corrado in Donizetti’s _Maria de Rudenz_, with great success. Opera News called his “the standout voice of this year’s festival.” He performed the role of Chou En-lai in John Adam’s _Nixon in China_ with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by the composer, and appeared with Opera Maine as Germont.

Mr. Kang sang the title role in _Eugene Onegin_ with North Carolina Opera in 2015-2016, a season during which he also performed the _Barbiere_ Figaro with Fort Worth Opera, and made his debut in _Les Pêcheurs de Perles_ with Seattle Opera. In addition, Mr. Kang returned to Wolf Trap Opera to sing Sharpless in _Madama Butterfly_ with the National Symphony Orchestra.

He was the first-prize winner of Fort Worth Opera’s 2014 McCammon Voice Competition, which led to recital appearances both in Fort Worth and New York City. He has also garnered top prizes in such important vocal competitions as the Gerda Lissner International Competition, Opera Index Vocal Competition, Giulio Gari International Competition, Palm Beach International Competition, and the Ades Vocal Competition at Manhattan School of Music, as well as a Semi-Finalist placement in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.