Born in Seoul, South Korea Ho-Yoon Chung began singing from an early age in a local church choir. He continued his musical studies at the Seoul National University and the Universität der Künste in Berlin. He had his opera debut in 1998 as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore in Seoul. Through his compelling performances with leading opera houses and orchestras around the world, Ho-Yoon Chung has firmly established himself as a unique and promising singer of his time.
Recently the artist has performed Werther in Tel Aviv, Duca/RIgoletto at Teatro Petruzelli di Bari, Alfredo/La Traviata and Rodolfo/La Bohéme at Opera Australia as well as Riccardo/Un Ballo in Maschera at Theater Chemnitz as well a as concert with Odense Symphony Orchestra.
Most recent and future engagements include Carlo VII/Giovanna D'arco by Verdi at Opéra-Théâtre de Metz Métropole, Edgardo/Lucia di Lammermoor at Teatre Palma de Mallorca, Duca/RIgoletto at Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, Rodolfo/La bohème at Korea National Opera, Alfredo/La Traviata at Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Riccardo Percy/Anna Bolena at Opera Australia, Riccardo/Un Ballo in Maschera once again in Chemnitz, Chevalier Des Grieux/Manon in Tel Aviv as well as Cavaradossi/Tosca in Taiwan with Taiwan Philharmonic.
Engagements in 2016/2017 include Edgardo/Lucia di Lammermoor at Tearo Comunale Bologna, Rodolfo/La Bohéme at Teatro Verdi Trieste, Duca/Rigoletto at Greek National Opera, Nemorino/L'Elissir d'Amore at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Duca/Rigoletto at Teatro Real de Madrid, Chevalier Des Grieux/Manon at Lithuanian National Opera in Vilnius, Verdi's Messa de Requiem in St. Helena, in Erkelenz and Lyon, Alfredo/La traviata at Opera Australia and Rodolfo/La Bohéme in Daegu, South Korea.
Engagements in 2014 and 2015 include Chevalier Des Grieux/Manon at Wiener Staatsoper, Alfredo/La Traviata with Daniel Oren at Tel Aviv Opera at Outdoor Masada, Mozart Requiem in Korea Great Mountains Music Festival, Covering of Vittorio Grigolo as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette by Gounod in Arena di Verona, Beethoven Symphony 9 in Saarbrücken and Seoul , Verdis Requiem in Stuttgart, Wiesbaden and Berlin, Duca/Rigoletto at Teatro Luciano Pavarotti di Modena and in Trento, Rodolfo/La Bohéme at Hamburger Staatsoper, Alfredo/Traviata at Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Duca/Rigoletto at Polish National Opera in Warsaw and Mario Cavaradossi/Tosca Outdoor in Norway with Opera Østfold and Fenton/Falstaff at Teatro Verdi di Trieste.
Ho-yoon Chung made his European debut in 2003. As member of the Internationale Opernstudio der Hamburgischen Staatsoper between 2003 and 2006 the young tenor made his debut at the Hamburg State Opera as Alfredo in La Traviata and further sang roles as Fenton, Il Duca di Mantova, Le Chevalier in Dialogues des Carmélites, Beppe, Steuermann and Ismaele among others.
It was as winner of the Grand Prix at “Concours International de Chant de Verviers” in 2001 that Ho-yoon Chung first burst into the international music scene. This was followed by him being a finalist at the ‘International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition’ in Vienna and winning the “Korea National Opera Competition” in Seoul. That same year he had his debut at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall as partner tenor to Sumi Jo swiftly followed by his Japan debut at the Tokyo City Opera Hall in 2003.
Ho-yoon Chung is working with conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Franz Welser-Moest, Karel Mark Chichon, Alain Altinoglu, Joseph Colaneri, Daniele Gatti, Adam Fischer, Peter Schneider, Renato Palumbo, Friedrich Haider, Marcus Bosch, Simone Young, Ingo Metzmacher, John Fiore, Michel Plasson, Philippe Auguin, Alfred Eschwe, Stefan Soltesz, Ion Marino, Claude Schnitzler, Julia Jones, Dan Ettinger, Bertrand de Billy, Niksa Bareza and Constantinos Carydis, Myung-Whun Chung among others.