By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Shin Young-ok opens the new year on a musical note, as always, but, this time, the soprano’s homecoming tour is more like reciting a lyrical love letter to Korea, through songs that have a special place in her heart.
The singer kicks off a cross-country tour Saturday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province to showcase her trademark operatic arias as well as Korean folk songs from her newly released album: ``Songs in My Heart’’ (Universal Music Korea).
Shin has numerous recordings under her belt, from full-scale opera CDs and aria compilations, to collections of hymns and crossover numbers, but ``Songs in My Heart’’ is like no other ― ``It captures my appreciation for my homeland, where I was born and raised,’’ she told The Korea Times in an email.
``It is a truly special project for a Korean singer, to sing Korean songs in Korean. I’ve lived in New York for 30 years but I always miss Korea and my family. I’ve been an opera singer for 20 years now, but being introduced as `Korean soprano Shin Young-ok’ really pulls my heartstrings and fills me with a sense of purpose. It’s because I am Korean.’’
Shin is best known as a diva on the international stage, singing lead roles opposite singers such as the late Luciano Pavarotti in the New York Metropolitan Opera or collaborating with crossover stars for New Age projects.
But the songs she sang in her childhood, such as ``Arirang’’ and ``Daffodil,’’ pervade with a distinct sense of intimacy and ownership. Her agile, lyrical instrument gives life to carefully measured degrees of passion and tenderness, hope and nostalgia. The Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria, conducted by Andrey Andreev, adds to the monumentality of each piece, which is local in essence but more universal in appeal.
``These are songs that accompanied me in my childhood,’’ she said, recalling her days as a member of the children’s choir Little Angels, and a student at Sun Hwa Arts Middle and High School. ``A lot of old memories came tiding in while I recorded the songs. That’s why I named the album `Songs in My Heart.’’’
In her concerts, she said she hopes to converse with the audience. ``I hope my performance can be a resting point for busy people. I think the arts and music are an expression of thanks for life. Each time I go onstage I try my best to tell many stories, as intimately and as truthfully as possible,’’ she said.
The concert program includes operatic arias she has sung onstage before, including ``Caro Elisir! Sei Mio’’ from Donizetti’s ``Lucia di Lammermoor’’ and ``Je Veux Vivre’’ from Gounod’s ``Romeo and Juliet.’’ Shin will also sing a piece as Gilda from Verdi’s ``Rigoletto,’’ which she notes as her most cherished operatic role. ``It was my debut role in 1990 at the Metropolitan Opera, and I’ve played Gilda almost every season.’’
When asked about her New Year plans, she said she would be busy with operas, concerts and recordings as usual. ``I want to spend each day so that when New Year’s comes around again I’ll feel that I have spent a worthwhile year. That is also how I want to live my life in the long run. There are so many people who made it possible for me to be where I am now, and I would like to express my thanks with my heart and my singing,’’ she said.
Shin will tour 10 cities, playing at venues such as Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex, Gyeonggi Province on Saturday and Seoul Arts Center on Jan. 29. She will perform Jan. 14 in Gyeongnam, Jan. 16 in Gunpo, Jan. 19 and 21 in Busan, Feb. 2 in Daegu and Feb. 4 in Suncheon. Call (02) 529-1923.