David Lee

David Lee – Tenor

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.

In recent years, David Lee was a finalist in the Concurso International de canto Julián Gayarre, in the Concours International d'Art Lyrique de Strasbourg and in the Ferrucio Tagliavini competition in Deutschlandsberg as well as the second 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 June 2010 he received the 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 David Lee was a member of the ensemble at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he performed in roles such as Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Conte Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Fenton (Falstaff), Pang (Turandot), Beppe (I Pagliacci) and in the title role of J. C. Bach's "Temistocle" to great acclaim. In 2016-17 he could be heard in Mannheim as Conte Almaviva in the revival of "Il barbiere di Siviglia", as Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Idamante (Idomeneo) and in the baroque parts of Hyllus in Handel's "Hercules" and Telemaco in Monteverdi's "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria".

Seit der Spielzeit 2017/18 ist David Lee Ensemblemitglied am Staatstheater Darmstadt. Hier zählen Ferrando, Alfred (Die Fledermaus) sowie Tamino zu seinen Partien. Dem Nationaltheater Mannheim blieb er weiterhin in der Rolle des Hyllus verbunden.  2018/19 gab der Tenor in Darmstadt sein Rollendebüt als Riccardo/Gustavo III (Un ballo in maschera), war in den Neuproduktionen „Zauberflöte“ als Tamino und in Saint-Saëns´ „Saint François d’Assise“ als Frère Massée zu erleben. 2019/20 folgte sein Rollendebüt als Edgardo in „Lucia di Lammermoor“. 2020/21 wirkt er in Darmstadt in der Opern-Collage „Atem“ mit. Ebenfalls ist sein Rollendebüt als Rodolfo (La Bohème) geplant.

David Lee made guest appearances at the Zurich Opera House, at the Mainz State Theater, at the Bonn Opera, in Braunschweig, Kaiserslautern and Freiburg. In 2013 he interpreted the role of Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore) at the Glyndebourne Opera and in July 2013 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 by the ERATO label.

Im Konzertbereich sang David Lee unter anderem die Missa solemnis C-Dur, KV 337 (Mozart) unter Kent Nagano, seit 2007 ist er Künstler der Yehudi Menuhin live music now Stiftung, in 2006 war er als Uriel in Haydns „Die Schöpfung“ am Teatro Monumental in Madrid zu erleben.