David Lee

The tenor David Lee received his education at the University of Seoul and at the University of Music and Theater in Hamburg. He is the winner of numerous prizes and awards.

David Lee was a finalist in the Concurso International de canto Julián Gayarre, the Concours International d'Art Lyrique de Strasbourg and the Ferrucio Tagliavini Competition in Deutschlandsberg as well as the second prize winner of the Elise Meyer Foundation in Hamburg. In addition, the young tenor was voted ‘Leading Musician for the 21st Century’ and ‘Tenor of the Year’ by the Korean Broadcasting System in 2004. In 2010, he was awarded 3rd prize at the Ricardo Zandonai International Singing Competition in Italy.

From 2007 to 2009 he was a member of the opera studio of the Bavarian State Opera. There he sang Ferrando in “Così fan tutte” among other roles. In 2015-16 he returned to the Bavarian State Opera as the cover for Rolando Villazón in the production “South Pole”. He took on this obligation again in 2016-17.

From 2009 to 2017, he was a member of the ensemble at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he enjoyed great success with roles such as Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Idamante (Idomeneo), Conte Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Fenton (Falstaff), Pang (Turandot) and Robert Falcon Scott (South Pole). He has also appeared in baroque operas. He sang the title role in J. C. Bach's ‘Temistocle’, Hyllus in Handel's ‘Hercules’ and Telemaco in Monteverdi's ‘Il ritorno de Ulisse in patria’.

From 2017/18 to 2023/24, David Lee was a member of the ensemble at the Staatstheater Darmstadt. He has now opted for freelance work and more flexibility. His roles in Darmstadt included Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Riccardo (Un ballo in maschera), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Cassio (Ottello), Rodolfo (La bohème), Faust (Faust et Hélène) and Alfred (Die Fledermaus/The Bat)

David Lee has made guest appearances at the Zurich Opera House, Stuttgart State Opera, Mainz State Theatre, Bonn Opera, Braunschweig, Kaiserslautern and Freiburg, among others. In 2013, he interpreted the role of Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore) at Glyndebourne Opera and in the same year Arturo (Lucia di Lammermoor) alongside Diana Damrau and Jesus Lopez-Cobos at the Philharmonie am Gasteig in Munich. A recording of this performance has been released on CD on the ERATO label.

In concert, David Lee has sung the Missa solemnis in C major, KV 337 (Mozart) under Kent Nagano, he was an artist of the Yehudi Menuhin live music now foundation, and he also appeared as Uriel in Haydn's ‘The Creation’ at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid.