Korea National Opera has new general director
.jpg?w=728)
Prof. Han Ye-jin
By Kwon Ji-youn
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has named a new general director for the Korea National Opera (KNO).
The ministry announced Friday that Sangmyung University visiting professor Han Ye-jin, 44, will take the helm of the KNO for the next three years.
Han, also known abroad as Regina, studied at the G. Verdi Conservatorio di Milano before taking to European and Japanese operatic stages as a soprano. The ministry said that her experience and expertise will allow the KNO to experiment in efforts to take Korean opera to the next level.
Han has won prominent competitions including the Padova International Music Competition and the Como International Competition, and has taken on leading roles in a number of KNO operas, including “Salome” and “La Boheme.” She also taught at Chungnam National University, Pai Chai University and Hansei University.
Though young, experts agree that Han has what it takes to lead the KNO to success. Former KNO directors include tenor Lee In-beom, baritone Oh Hyun-myung and soprano Chung Eun-sook.