An American citizen born in South Korea, soprano Hyunah Yu received the prestigious Artist Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. A prize winner in the 1999 Naumburg International Competition and a finalist in the 1998 Dutch International Vocal Competition and the 1999 Concert Artist Guild International Competition in New York, Hyunah Yu began her annual collaboration with Blanche Moyse singing all the major Bach oratorios starting with the
St. Matthew Passion, both in Vermont and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1999. She is a regular participating artist at the Marlboro Music Festival. She gave her solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in May 2004. During Spring and Summer 2006, Hyunah sang the title role in
Zaïde, directed by Peter Sellars, conducted by Louis Langrée, in a joint production between The Lincoln Centre
Mostly Mozart Festival, the Wiener Festwochen and the Barbican. She sang three performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Seoul Philharmonic conducted by Myung Whun Chung in December 2006. Hyunah’s EMI Debut disc of Mozart and Bach arias was released in Europe, USA and Korea in January 2007. Hyunah Yu’s 2005 engagements included her solo recital debut for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, concerts for Montreal’s Andre Turp Musical Society, the Vancouver Recital Society, a Mahler 8th Symphony tour in Europe with the Rotterdam Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev and Bach’s
B Minor Mass in Cologne with Semyon Bychkov. She has recorded two solo recitals for the BBC’s
Voices programme. Hyunah Yu holds a degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Last updated: February 2007
"...mouth-watering evidence of significant potential"
Gramophone January 2007
"The lightness of her voice is tempered by the sheer physical beauty of the sound, a beauty that adds to the weight without overbearing it. One could listen with great satisfaction to her simply vocalizing. [...] Highest recommendations"
Audiophile Audition April 2007
Project: EMI Debut Disc Bach - Mozart Arias (EMI Debut 368255-2)