Video: Tenor SeokJong Baek Stuns With 'Nessun Dorma' in Rehearsals For The Met's TURANDOT

Watch as renowned tenor SeokJong Baek sings an excerpt from Calàf’s Act III aria in an early dress rehearsals for the Met Opera's Turandot. Baek just made his Met debut last year.

About The Met's Turandot

Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling vision of mythic China retakes the stage, with soprano Elena Pankratova making her Met debut as the legendary—and lethal—title princess, opposite tenor SeokJong Baek as the valiant prince who puts his life on the line to win her love. Later in the spring, a pair of audience favorites, soprano Christine Goerke and tenor Roberto Alagna, assume the starring roles. Sopranos Aleksandra Kurzak, Juliana Grigoryan, Gabriella Reyes, Angel Blue, and Olga Kulchynska alternate as Liù, with basses Vitalij Kowaljow, Peixin Chen, and Soloman Howard as Timur. Maestro Oksana Lyniv makes her Met debut leading Puccini’s rousing score, sharing conducting duties with Marco Armiliato.

About Tenor SeokJong Baek

Mr. Baek was the 1st Place winner of the 2021 Loren L. Zachary Society National Vocal Competition, 1st Prize, Audience Award and Enrico Caruso Award winner of the 2021 Vincero World Singing Competition, 3rd Prize, audience prize and Placido Domingo Prize-winner of the 59th Tenor Viñas Competition, and 3rd Price winner of the 2021 Iris Adami Corradetti International Competition.

Mr. Baek transitioned from baritone to tenor, where he previously joined San Francisco Opera as an Adler Fellow in 2019, where he sang Morales in Carmen, Gregorio in Romeo et Juliette, and the Innkeeper/Naval Captain in Manon Lescaut, while also being responsible for covering the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, the Hunter in Rusalka, and Lescaut in Manon Lescaut. As a Resident Artist with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, he sang performances of Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, David in Barber’s A Hand of Bridge, and Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief. Last summer as a participant in San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Opera Program, he sang selections as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles and Masetto in Don Giovanni, as well as “Zaza piccolo zingara from Berrettoni’s Zaza in the Merola Grand Finale concert. While a member of the Aspen Opera Center, Mr. Baek sang his first performances of Giorgio Germont in La traviata, as well as Silvio in Pagliacci and Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro in a concert of opera scenes. While studying at Manhattan School of Music, his roles included Gautru in Delibes’ Le roi l’a dit and Colonel Tschang in Das Land des Lächelns, as well as scenes from Don Pasquale in concert. He was also awarded First Prize in the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition.

Mr. Baek is a 3rd Prize winner from the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition 2018, Grant Award winner from the Giulio Gari Foundation Internation Vocal Competition, Extraordinary Prize winner from the Sonora International Opera Competition, 2nd Prize winner of the Alfredo Silipigni Vocal Competition, 2nd Prize winner from the New Jersey Verismo Opera Competition, and has received awards from the Opera Index Vocal Competition and the Peel Music Festival Competition.

Mr. Baek attended the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto’s Vocal training program, and holds both a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music from Manhattan School of Music.

How To Get Tickets

Performances begin February 28th and run through June 7th. Tickets are on sale online here. 

$25 rush tickets are available for every performance and go on sale for Monday through Friday evening performances at noon, for matinees four hours before curtain, and for Saturday evenings at 2:00PM. Learn more about the Met's rush ticketing program here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.