In the early months of 2020, just before the curtain fell on theaters across Europe due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Julian Kim performed the role of Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at Teatro La Fenice. The production revived Bepi Morassi’s long-established staging, first introduced in 2003 and now considered a signature interpretation of the opera within the Venetian house’s repertoire. With a visual style that leaned on tradition rather than spectacle, the set and costume designs by Gianmaurizio Fercioni evoked a romanticized village atmosphere, full of charm and simplicity. Morassi’s direction, rooted in the classical school, honored the original libretto with precision, guiding each character’s movement with narrative clarity while allowing the opera’s wit and sentiment to shine through effortlessly.

Belcore, the boastful yet endearing soldier, was portrayed with clarity and confidence by Julian Kim, a baritone well known and well loved at La Fenice. Critics praised his performance as “flawless from start to finish,” noting his “beautiful dark and clear voice” and his total immersion in the character. In a final act filled with high-energy choreography and ensemble movement, Kim’s precise and composed interpretation stood out as a focal point, especially in Belcore’s graceful acceptance of defeat. His gentle singing in that moment was described as a perfect fit for the tone of the scene — measured, sincere, and theatrically grounded.