TOSCA MEET THE RTISTS A INSIDE OPERA

HYUNG YUN, Giorgio Germont

Baritone Hyung Yun has been acclaimed for his “subtle musicality and grand voice” and regularly performs on the most esteemed opera stages in the United States. With The Metropolitan Opera, he has performed including Valentin in Faust, Ping in Turandot, Manon Lescaut by Massenet with Renee Fleming, Silvio in Pagliacci, Count Nottingham with Sondra Radvanovsky in Roberto Devereux, Albert in Werther, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, Zurga in Pearl Fishers with Matthew Polenzani, and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. With Los Angeles Opera, he played Angelotti in Tosca, Marcello in La bohème, Micheletto Cibo Die Gezeichneten and Manon Lescaut with Rolando Villazón. Yun has sung the role of Ping in Turandot with the Santa Fe Opera and Marcello in La bohème with San Francisco, as well as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor at Minnesota Opera, Tulsa Opera, Toledo, and Opera Carolina. With Washington National Opera, he performed Germont in La traviata, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, as well as the title role in Don Giovanni. A highlight in his career has been performing the role of Ford in Falstaff as part of the Tanglewood Festival with Maestro Seiji Ozawa. On the concert stage, he has performed in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Tokyo City Symphony, Nielson’s Symphony No. 2 with Philadelphia Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem at Lincoln Center, and Carmina Burana with the Colorado Symphony and San Francisco symphony. In the 2021-22 season, Yun returned to sing Ping in Turandot with The Metropolitan Opera, Germont La traviata with Calgary Opera, and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly with Dallas Opera. For the 2022-23 season, Yun returns to The Metropolitan Opera for their production of Rigoletto.

ASHLEY WEST-DAVIS, Flora Bervoix

Praised for her magnetic stage presence and vocal versatility, Ashley West-Davis is a crossover artist and educator who regularly performs in both opera and musical theatre. Ashley began singing with Opera Carolina as a Resident Artist in 2019, as the Apparition in Verdi’s Macbeth. She has appeared with the company as a soloist in the successful iStream NOW series, the annual St. Nektarios Christmas concert, and in various pop up concerts around the Charlotte area. Last season, she sang in the ensembles for both The Falling and the Rising and Aida with Opera Carolina, and served as a Faculty Guest Artist at Winthrop University as the Witch in Hänsel and Gretel. Previous opera Credits include Die Zauberflöte (Dritte Dame), Hänsel und Gretel (Hänsel), The Merry Widow (Olga), Hand of Bridge (Geraldine), The Mikado, Suor Angelica, and L’elisir d’amore. Ashley has performed as a soloist with the Lubbock Chorale, La Musica Lirica, Operafestival di Roma, Manhattan Opera Studio, and in concerts at the National Opera Center and Carnegie Hall. In 2022, she served as Vocal Coach for the premiere of Here There Be Dragons, an off-Broadway musical at the Players Theatre in New York City. Favorite musical theatre credits include The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Truly Scrumptious), Spring Awakening (Wendla), and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lucy). Ashley holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre from Coker University. Her dissertation, “Dominick Argento’s Miss Manners on Music: A Performance Guide for Singers” explores the preparation and performance of contemporary art song, with a focus on Argento’s work in particular. Ashley currently maintains a private studio and teaches voice at Winthrop University.

MICHAEL OWENS, Gastone

Michael Owens is a tenor and Principal Resident Artist with Opera Carolina. His involvement in the 2022-23 season began with singing in the chorus for Opera Carolina’s production of Tosca. He will now debut as Gastone in the company’s upcoming production of La traviata, and he will also serve as the cover for the role of Alfredo. The 2021-22 season was Michael’s first with Opera Carolina, where he was involved in every grand opera of the season — he joined the companies of I Dream, Don Giovanni, The Falling And The Rising, and Aida. He also performed a role debut as The Messenger in Aida. As a finale to Michael’s season, he made his debut as a Tenor Soloist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra during their Summer Concert Series, singing excerpts as Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles. Michael’s operatic pursuit began in Charleston, SC, where he performed the role of Chevalier De La Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites with The College of Charleston Opera. During his time in Charleston, he also gave partial performances of several other operas, including the roles of Alfredo in La traviata, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from The College of Charleston and is continuing his studies privately with Scott Flaherty.