By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Soprano Shin Young literally lives on music.
``Without music, what do we do? I wake up with music… For me, music is my source of energy. It's like food, and it's good food. You hear it with your ears, but you completely absorb it with your entire body,'' she told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul.
After making her opera debut as Susanna in ``Marriage of Figaro'' in the 1989 Spoleto Festival, Shin went on to win the 1990 Metropolitan National Council Auditions, earning rave reviews from The New York Times. She has since been a regular on the world stage in operas, recitals and festivals, appearing with Luciano Pavarotti in New York and Jose Carreras in Seoul.
``I just love being onstage. With the audience, there's always some sort of chemistry going on. All the difficulties disappear instantly once I'm onstage,'' she said.
In October, Shin appeared onstage alongside maestro Chung Myung-whun with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and baritone Yikun Chung for the U.N. Day Concert.
``It was so touching, I felt like I was in Korea,'' recalled the soprano who is in town for a special year-end concert ``Concert of Love,'' Dec. 7 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, northern Seoul.
``It's so special for me to be in Korea, it's my homeland. My father lives here, as do my sister and my friends…I have lots of good memories so I'm always missing my country. Whenever I come here and perform, I have such a great audience ― they support me a lot, both mentally and with a warm heart,'' she said.
``Although I'm not a perfect artist, I get this support. When I go to other countries, I have good memories there, too, but I always want to come back.''
Shin may be a glamorous diva onstage, but revealed that she is like a child in front of her father. The youngest of three daughters, she speaks to him often, even several times a day, whether she's in Paris or Prague.
``I used to come to Korea about once a year or every two years. But now I try to come as often as I can, also since my father is here. He's alone because my mother passed away,'' she said.
Shin went on to express her deep connection with her homeland. ``I can't explain how `Koreanized' I am,'' she said, even though she has lived in New York for a good part of her life, having completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at Juilliard and is now a regular at the Met.
``Even when I'm in New York I have to watch Korean channels, like dramas, and keep it on in the background even if I'm not watching it,'' she said. She even speaks to her beloved dog Coco in Korean.
``When I sing Korean songs I feel like crying, because the words touch my heart,'' she said. Shin is renowned not only for classic operatic repertoire, ranging from Mozart to Puccini and Bizet, but also crossover music.
Shin also spoke of her wish to stage not only Korean songs, but strut some dance moves as well. Originally a trained dancer, Shin also happened to be a talented singer whose voice got her into Juilliard.
``I love buk chum and janggu chum (traditional dances), and I'd love to do something with Duk-soo oppa (brother),'' she said, expressing a family-like bond with Korea's celebrated percussion artist Kim Duk-soo.
Plans in the near future include a recording project in New York ― details of which remain undisclosed ― and a production of ``Romeo and Juliette'' in Balitmore.
Shin may be a world-renowned prima donna with 18 years of stage experience, but still gets nervous before each performance.
``You know, I've been performing for a long time, but I still get very nervous, especially at the start of each performance,'' she said, expressing her nervousness about performing the high-pitched ``Bell Song'' from the opera ``Lakme'' in the upcoming Seoul concert.
Another challenge is ``Habanera'' from Bizet's ``Carmen,'' the first time she will ever perform it onstage.
``It's not my repertoire, it's for mezzo-sopranos. But the director of the program said `You can do it,' and he convinced me… So I'm doing it, just for him,'' she said. ``It will be a challenge.''
``But I realized that singing is not just about technique. It should be flowing from your heart, and so I try to understand the words,'' she said ``It's not so important to make a perfect sound, but it's more important to move the audience with your heart.
``Playing so many different characters (in operas) enables you to understand the composer, and ultimately, yourself,'' she said. ``You shouldn't manipulate or color the music too much.''
Any more messages for aspiring young artists? ``It's also very dangerous to copy (others). When I was young I used to imitate other singers, but I think it's very important to find your own voice,'' she said.
But Shin insists on staying a student herself. Retaining that fervor to continuously learn accompanies her ``food,'' or music, like ``vitamins.''
``I love going back to being a student. It's like vitamins,'' she said. ``I push myself. Last year I went to Spoleto Festival, which I attended in 1988, 1989 and 1990. I remember how I worked like crazy for `Marriage of Figaro' and it felt like being a student again,'' she said.
``Although I know `Rigoletto' and `Lucia' by heart, it's really important to practice over and over again,'' she emphasized, saying how it is a matter of respect for the audience. ``I think artists should try endlessly to make pieces more beautiful ― until the end.''
Tickets for ``Concert of Love'' cost 40,000-120,000 won. Various discounts are available. For reservations, visit www.sejongpac.or.kr or www.interpark.com. For more information, call (02) 399-1617.