programme & tickets programme

Insik
Choi

current productions
Baritone Insik Choi looks directly into the camera. He is wearing a light-coloured turtleneck sweater beneath a beige coat. His dark hair is combed back. Set against a light blue background, the portrait has a calm and professional appearance. The photograph shows him from the upper body upwards.
Baritone Insik Choi © Teresa Rothwangl

vita

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. In March 2015, he was also among the finalists in the JoongAng Music Concours competition.

Insik Choi has already appeared on opera stages in South Korea in roles including 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 first prize and the audience prize at the Vincerò World Singing Competition in Verona.

From 2015 to 2017, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at Cologne Opera, and has been a member of the Cologne Opera ensemble since the start of the 17/18 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 include 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", Baron 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 recent roles in Cologne have included Wotan in "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", der König 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", Orest in "Elektra", Marcello in "La Bohème", Belcore in "L’elisir d’amore" and Zurga in "Les pêcheurs de perles". He also took on this role in a concert performance with the Antonio Vivaldi Orchestra in Italy. At the Korean National Opera, he sang Frank in "Die tote Stadt".

During the 25/26 season, Insik Choi sang the roles of Lescaut in "Manon Lescaut", Peter/Besenbinder in "Hänsel und Gretel", Don Carlos in "Ernani" and Ping in "Turandot" at the Cologne Opera.

In the 26/27 season, he will appear as Lindorf / Luther / Coppélius / Miracle / Dappertutto in Stefan Herheim’s production of Jacques Offenbach’s "The Tales of Hoffmann". He will also portray Alberich in Richard Wagner’s "Siegfried", part of Paul-Georg Dittrich’s new Cologne "Ring" cycle. In Giuseppe Verdi’s "Macbeth", he will sing the title role in Damiano Michieletto’s acclaimed 2018 production, which was celebrated at Teatro La Fenice. In addition, he will perform the title role in Giuseppe Verdi’s "Rigoletto".

current productions with Insik Choi

  • Festakt der Bühnen

    Blick von der Bühne in den Zuschauerraum der Oper am Offenbachplatz mit ansteigenden Sitzreihen mit hellblauen Bezügen, mehreren geschwungenen Balkonen und warmen Holzvertäfelungen.
    Detailaufnahme der markanten Holzvertäfelung im Saalinnenraum der Oper Köln am Offenbachplatz. Die Maserung des Holzes ist deutlich sichtbar und wirkt lebendig, während die warme Farbgebung dem Raum eine elegante und einladende Wirkung verleiht.

  • Hoffmanns Erzählungen

    Jacques Offenbach

    Nahaufnahme eines Mannes mittleren Alters vor schwarzem Hintergrund in warmer, cineastischer Lichtstimmung. Mit kurzem, zerzaustem braunem Haar liegt er auf einem wasserbedeckten Boden und blickt den Betrachter an. Er trägt ein weißes Hemd; Gesicht und Oberkörper spiegeln sich in der dunklen Wasserfläche. Sein erschöpfter, introvertierter Ausdruck vermittelt Rückblick, Sehnsucht und innere Zerrissenheit. Die Szene erinnert an Hoffmann aus Jacques Offenbachs Hoffmanns Erzählungen.
    Abstraktes, stimmungsvolles Bild in kühlen Blau- und warmen Rosétönen: Weiche Farbverläufe und unscharfe Übergänge erzeugen eine traumartige Atmosphäre und evozieren die Welt von Hoffmanns Erzählungen von Jacques Offenbach.

    Premiere | OPER on

  • Macbeth

    Abstract, atmospheric image in warm shades of orange, red, and deep violet. Soft color gradients create a dense, shimmering atmosphere without recognizable forms. The composition feels glowing and intense, with darker edges and a subtly illuminated center. The result is a dramatic, tension-filled mood that evokes heat, unrest, and an underlying sense of threat. An associative reflection of the dark, psychologically charged world of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Macbeth.
    Abstract, atmospheric image in warm, blending tones of orange, red, and deep violet. The soft transitions create a dense, almost shimmering atmosphere without discernible forms. The color composition appears intense and glowing, with darker areas at the edges and a slightly brightened center. Overall, the image conveys a dramatic, tension-filled mood, evoking heat, unrest, and an underlying sense of threat, and reflectively capturing the dark, psychologically charged world of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Macbeth.

    Premiere | OPER on

  • Rigoletto

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Scene from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi: A group of elegantly dressed men in dark suits and tailcoats stand closely packed in front of a neoclassical architectural backdrop with columns and balustrades; their bodies lean forward, tense, as if reacting to something together.

    Revival | OPER on

  • Siegfried

    Richard Wagner

    Close-up of a young man in cinematic lighting. Shown in right-facing profile, he gazes into the distance with a vigilant and determined expression. His silvery-blond hair is swept back, while multiple earrings add a modern, subtly rebellious edge. Cool blue and violet light shapes his luminous skin and accentuates the contours of his face. The dark background enhances the dramatic effect. A contemporary interpretation of Siegfried from Richard Wagner’s opera Siegfried.
    Abstract, atmospheric image in cool, blending tones of blue, violet, and deep red. The soft transitions create a calm yet mysterious atmosphere. The color composition appears deep and layered, with a dark, nearly black edge that subtly brightens toward the center. Overall, the image conveys a dense, dramatic mood, evoking night, tension, and inner strength, and reflectively capturing the mythical, intense world of Richard Wagner’s opera Siegfried.

    Premiere | OPER on

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