Won Cho |
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Won Cho, bass-baritone Celebrated Korean-Canadian Bass baritone Won Cho is known for the unique range and beauty of his voice as well as his outstanding acting ability. Thanks to his energetic voice and stage presence, he is in demand in both concert and operatic repertoire, appearing with many of the opera houses and orchestras of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Mid East, and his native Korea. His voice is described as "possesses the voice and presence to make himself instantly known on stage". Mr. Cho recently sang the role of the Commendatore in Mercury Opera Rochester’s production of Don Giovanni. He recently made his Mexican debut as Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra during Carlos Miguel Prieto’s final performance as music director with that orchestra. His other recent engagements during 2006-2007 season were Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Mercury Opera Rochester, Melchior in Amahl & the Night Visitors and Bach’s B minor Mass with The Western New York Chamber Orchestra in Buffalo, Leporello in Don Giovanni at Southern Illinois Music Festival, Messiah in Toronto and Buffalo, Lord Nelson Mass in Toronto, Duruflé’s Requiem at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasie, Mass in C Major, and the World Premiere of Randol Bass' "Passage Into Spirit" with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus/Orchestra. His 2007-2008 season includes Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Messiah with Tampa Oratorio Society, Messiah with Sarasota Chorale Society, Saint Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio with Hyde Park Methodist church, bass soloist in Haydn’s The Creation in Toronto, and Missa Solemnis and Lord Nelson Mass at The Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. Mr. Cho was the 3rd prize winner of The 31st Vincenzo Bellini International Opera Competition in Italy where Dame Joan Sutherland was the chair adjudicator, 1st prize winner of The Artist International Music Competition in Toronto, Canada, and a Regional Finalist at The Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Audition. Additional honors and awards include prizes from The Amici Vocal Competition, Operafest! of New Hampshire competition, voice scholarship from Boston University, and The University of Memphis where he was a Hohenberg-Scheidt Opera Fellow. Mr. Cho has sung with such companies as Opera Memphis, East Slovak State Opera, Mississippi Opera, Operafest! of New Hampshire, Dicapo Opera of NYC, Opera Theater of Connecticut, Ocean State Opera, New Jersey Verismo Opera, Longwood Opera, Washington Concert Opera, and Utah Festival Opera as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sarastro in Magic Flute, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Bonzo in Madama Butterfly, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor only to name the major roles. He currently is on the roster of Thea Dispeker Artist Management in New York City. Mr. Cho received his degrees from Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, and University of Memphis. He has served on faculty at University of Northern Iowa and at SUNY Fredonia, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Voice & Coordinator of Opera Program at University of South Florida in Tampa. |