SOPRANO
NA LI YOUM
Soprano Na Li Youm has been nurturing a career trajectory centered on the Italian romantic and verismo repertoires. Particularly in demand as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, she has performed Puccini's tragic geisha throughout the greater New York and Washington DC metro areas. She has also earned plaudits as Mimi in La boheme, a role which "she sang with ease and beauty."
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Ms. Youm's repertoire has include leading roles by Verdi (Leonora in Il trovatore, Alice in Falstaff) and Mozart (Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, the Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro), as well as Mathilde in Rossini's rarely-heard masterpiece Guillaume Tell.
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A native of South Korea, Ms. Youm has fulfilled artist residencies with the Caramoor Festival, Opera North, and Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts, where she earned her Artist Diploma. She began her training at the illustrious Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, and continued her studies at Mannes College of Music, under whose auspices she made her American operatic debut as Violetta in La traviata.
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Ms. Youm has placed as an award winner in the Giargiari Bel Canto Vocal Competition, the Daejin University of Music Competition (Korea), and the Journal of Music Voice Competition (Korea). and has been awarded grants from the Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition and the Giulio Gari international Vocal Competition.
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Critical Acclaim
REVIEWS
LA BOHEME, AMORE OPERA
"The vocal prowess of the Amore Opera singers was superb with rich nuance and controlled power behind the voices.. Na Li Youm also performed with great range as Mimi. Showing dexterity in the role, she sang with ease and beauty."
Scott Frost, Broadway World 12/30/13
LA BOHEME, ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
"Watch especially for soprano Na Li Youm, whose large yet intimate voice will take her far"
Steve Cohen, Opera Critics 5/11/10
LA BOHEME, ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
"I attended the second performance of the AVA's production because I wanted to see and hear certain singers who had impressed me in smaller roles earlier. Na Li Youm sang Mimi, tenor Sean Arnold was Rodolfo and baritone Steven LaBrie was Marcello. All of them displayed youthful fervor and sang at a level equal to or better than what one sees in professional opera houses... Na Li Youm owns a large voice that previously soared over ensembles in Verdi's Il trovatore. It possesses a dark and dramatic color that we don't expect in Puccini's Boheme. So I was curious to see how effective she'd be in an intimate role like Mimi... Youm reined in her voice and gave us a sweet and tender Mimi, and she also supplied big high notes at the climaxes of Acts 2 and 3. Youm may not perform many Mimis as her career progresses, due to a surplus of available Mimis and a dearth of sopranos who can justice to Verdi's dramatic lead roles... It will be interesting to see what roles Youm will be given over the coming decades. Italian verismo operas and Verdi dramatic operas should be her forte."
Steve Cohen, Broad Street Review 5/11/10
IL TROVATORE, ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
"Na Li Youm was a startlingly mature Leonora in the Verdi Opera, with dramatic thrust and soaring high notes. There [artists] were the most spectacular achievements of the night..." Steve Cohen, Broad Street Reviews 2/2/10