Jootaek Kim's Opera Debut Story

Julian Kim made his opera debut under his original Korean name, Jootaek Kim, at the Pergolesi Theater during the 2009 Stagione Lirica Teatro Pergolesi season. The production aimed to bring youthful energy to Il Barbiere di Siviglia by blending young singers from the Rossini Opera Festival and the Bologna Opera School with experienced opera performers.

Directed by Damiano Michieletto with costumes by Carla Teti, the staging was first introduced at the Maggio Fiorentino Training School in 2003 and premiered in 2005. The 2009 performance followed this original staging. Notably, the characters were designed with animal-inspired costumes: Figaro as a fox, Basilio as a snake, Bartolo as a dog, and Rosina as a sophisticated Ivy League student.

The youthful production was conducted by Giampaolo Maria Bisanti, a young conductor from Milan. The show ran for four performances from November 11 to 15, 2009, with key roles double-cast. Julian Kim performed as Figaro on November 13, marking his opera debut.

Kim had previously won the Riccardo Zandonai Competition in May 2009, where judge Gianni Tangucci cast him for this debut. Following this, Kim went on to perform as Figaro at the Teatro dell'Aquila di Fermo and the Teatro Dante Alighieri in Ravenna, Italy.