SOON CHO
Artist-Faculty, mezzo-soprano Pacific Lutheran University Praised by Opera News for her “potent presence” and acclaimed by Cincinnati Post as “regal in bearing, with vocal endowments to match,” lyric mezzo-soprano Soon Cho has gained recognition for her sensitive artistry and winning execution on the recital, concert and opera stages, and has performed in Australia, Belgium, China, Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, South Korea and across the United States.
|
Her repertoire is especially wide ranging--from canonical works from the 18th through 20th centuries to contemporary music by living composers. Dr. Cho has been featured as a soloist in works by Bach (St. John Passion with the Vocal Arts Ensemble), Mozart (Requiem at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in China), Beethoven (Choral Fantasy with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus), Dvorak (Stabat Mater with Honolulu Symphony Orchestra), and Mahler (Kindertotenlieder with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra).
On the operatic stage, she has sung leading roles including Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Adalgisa (Norma), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), L’Enfant (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges), Mother Marie (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Mao’s 2nd Secretary (Nixon in China), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), and Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She has performed with such opera companies as Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Opera, Houston Grand Opera’s Opera-to-Go, Seattle Opera Outreach, Opera in the Heights, Opera Festival of Lucca, Aspen Opera Theater, Tacoma Opera, Vashon Opera and Seongnam Arts Center Opera in Korea.
An advocate of new music and a lover of chamber music, Dr. Cho has premiered works by American living composers and performed as a recitalist and a chamber musician at the Paris American Cathedral and Beaune International Festival in France, Ghent New Music Festival in Belgium, King Charles the Martyr Falmouth Summer Series in England, Grandin Music Festival in Cincinnati, International Viola Congress in New Zealand, and Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival in Leavenworth.
While holding herself and her students to the highest standards, Dr. Cho always adopts a nurturing, holistic, learner-centered approach that brings out the best in young singers. Students in her studio have been accepted into prestigious music programs such as Oberlin Conservatory, Indiana University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, San Francisco Conservatory, as well as University of Colorado-Boulder, among others. They have been winners of prestigious competitions such as Edward Baird Singer of the Year, Schmidt Vocal Competition, Angela Meade Vocal Competition and NATS Student Auditions Competitions, to list a few.
As an active clinician and adjudicator, Dr. Cho has presented master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory, Ithaca College, Florida State University, Houston Grand and Seattle Opera High School Studios, and Royal Conservatory of Ghent in Belgium. She serves as a judge and master teacher for the Schmidt Vocal Competition, which reaches over 5,000 high school and undergraduate students throughout the U.S. annually. Dr. Cho is an Associate Professor of Voice at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, where she teaches private voice (classical and musical theater), lyric diction and vocal pedagogy. Dr. Cho received the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice and Artist Diploma in Opera from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, M.M. from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and B.A./B.M. from University of Washington.
On the operatic stage, she has sung leading roles including Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Adalgisa (Norma), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), L’Enfant (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges), Mother Marie (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Mao’s 2nd Secretary (Nixon in China), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), and Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She has performed with such opera companies as Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Opera, Houston Grand Opera’s Opera-to-Go, Seattle Opera Outreach, Opera in the Heights, Opera Festival of Lucca, Aspen Opera Theater, Tacoma Opera, Vashon Opera and Seongnam Arts Center Opera in Korea.
An advocate of new music and a lover of chamber music, Dr. Cho has premiered works by American living composers and performed as a recitalist and a chamber musician at the Paris American Cathedral and Beaune International Festival in France, Ghent New Music Festival in Belgium, King Charles the Martyr Falmouth Summer Series in England, Grandin Music Festival in Cincinnati, International Viola Congress in New Zealand, and Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival in Leavenworth.
While holding herself and her students to the highest standards, Dr. Cho always adopts a nurturing, holistic, learner-centered approach that brings out the best in young singers. Students in her studio have been accepted into prestigious music programs such as Oberlin Conservatory, Indiana University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, San Francisco Conservatory, as well as University of Colorado-Boulder, among others. They have been winners of prestigious competitions such as Edward Baird Singer of the Year, Schmidt Vocal Competition, Angela Meade Vocal Competition and NATS Student Auditions Competitions, to list a few.
As an active clinician and adjudicator, Dr. Cho has presented master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory, Ithaca College, Florida State University, Houston Grand and Seattle Opera High School Studios, and Royal Conservatory of Ghent in Belgium. She serves as a judge and master teacher for the Schmidt Vocal Competition, which reaches over 5,000 high school and undergraduate students throughout the U.S. annually. Dr. Cho is an Associate Professor of Voice at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, where she teaches private voice (classical and musical theater), lyric diction and vocal pedagogy. Dr. Cho received the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice and Artist Diploma in Opera from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, M.M. from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and B.A./B.M. from University of Washington.