Julian Jootaek Kim (), also known as Julian Kim, is a South Korean baritone opera singer, crossover artist, and musical theater performer. He was born on September 9, 1986. Kim is known for his portrayal of Figaro in the opera Il barbiere di Siviglia in Italy, which he performed more than 70 times, and as the Phantom in a Korean replica production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera.
Singing competitions Kim won the Grand Prize in The Korea Voice Competition by the Lee DaeWoong Music Scholarship Foundation and won first place in the Music Chunchu Competition and Shin Youngok Competition during his high school years in Korea. In Italy, he received the Premio Miglior Giovane Promessa (Best Young Promise Prize) in the Renata Tebaldi International Competition in 2007. Additionally, he won second place in the Riccardo Zandonai Competition and International Lyric Competition Magda Olivero and first place and the Young Voices Award by the City of Magenta in 2009, followed by third place in the Francesc Viñas International Singing Competition and second place in the International Singing Competition Maria Caniglia in 2011. In 2012, he won second place in the Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico Giacinto Prandelli, the International Singing Competition Maria Caniglia, and the Verdian Voices International Singing Competition. He won first place in the International Singing Competition of Toulouse and second place in the Viotti International Music Competition. He also received fourth place and second place in the Seoul International Music Competition in 2007 and 2013, respectively, alongside the Myung-whun Chung Miracle of Music Awards in Korea in 2011.
Opera Kim's debut took place in 2009 at the Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, Italy, where he performed as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He has since portrayed leading roles in La traviata, The marriage of Figaro,Le nozze di Figaro - L'opera raccontata ai ragazzi Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Simon Boccanegra, Il signor Bruschino, Das Rheingold, Lucia di Lammermoor and La bohème
Julian Jootaek Kim made his debut at Teatro La Fenice in 2013, portraying the character Marcello in La bohème. As of June 2024, he has performed on the stage 104 times, earning acclaim for his prominent baritone roles in Attila (Ezio), Il barbiere de Serville (Figaro), La traviata (Germont), La bohème (Marcello), and Don Carlo (Rodrigo).
Phantom Singer (TV program) Phantom Singer is a JTBC television audition program in Korea that forms a male crossover vocal quartet. Julian Jootaek Kim mentioned feeling his heart race while watching the first season of Phantom Singer, leading to a realization that he needed a change in his life. Among the finalists in season 2, Kim was the only opera singer working abroad.
He emerged as the runner-up and joined Miraclass. Following the show, he continued his crossover activities in Korea while maintaining his operatic career in Italy. During this period, he performed in opera productions in Italy until the start of Phantom Singer season 3.
Miraclass
Miraclass is a crossover quartet composed of Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, Kang-hyun Park, and . The group released its first full-length album, Romantica in 2018 and participated in various concerts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miraclass participated in Phantom Singer All Stars. The group received multiple first-place finishes, including an MVP award for its performance of Josh Groban's "Mai."
Since its formation on September 26, 2017, Miraclass has continued holding concerts, releasing full-length albums, and operating a YouTube channel named Just-10-minute.
Concerts
For his activities as a member of Miraclass, see Miraclass
Kim has taken part in 20 concerts linked to Italian opera across different countries such as Italy, Russia, Austria, Japan, and Korea. These performances included collaborations with conductors Edoardo Müller, Pietro Mianiti, and Marco Boemi. Additionally, he has engaged in classical concerts alongside opera singers and crossover events in Korea, totaling over 100 concerts, excluding those with the crossover group Miraclass.
In concert adaptations of Das Rheingold under the baton of Myung-whun Chung in Seoul in 2014, and Fidelio conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano in Rome in 2016, Kim assumed the roles of Donner and Don Fernando, respectively. He has been a prominent soloist in concerts overseen by Myung-whun Chung. Notably, he was one of 8 soloists in Mahler's Symphony No. 8 performed by the Seoul Symphony Orchestra in 2011, the sole male soloist for the Expo 2012 Concert, and performed Verdi's arias at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 2013, all under the direction of Myung-whun Chung.
Kim was actively involved in concerts and operas in Korea during the early 2010s. However, his significant introduction to the Korean audience was perhaps through the Baritone Julian Jootaek Kim Recital () in 2015 in Seoul. Kim's performance in this recital led to him receiving the Best New Artist Award at the 2nd Seoul Art Center Award in 2016.
From 2016 to 2019, Kim participated in The Taming of Casanova, an opera collage featuring famous arias from diverse operas that aimed to attract a wider audience to the classical music domain.
In 2019, Kim presented additional recitals. Following a fan concert in 2021, he now regularly hosts a set of concerts titled Baritone Julian Jootaek Kim's Music Library, featuring performances of opera arias, classical tunes, Italian canzones, musical numbers, and Korean songs.
Stage musicals
Julian Kim auditioned online for the Korean production of The Phantom of the Opera produced by the Really Useful Group and was selected as one of the four actors cast as the Phantom for the 2023–2024 production. His debut performance occurred on March 28, 2023, in Busan, followed by 31 performances in Seoul and 21 in Daegu, totaling 82 performances. He also received positive reviews for his powerful operatic voice and for his performance as the Phantom, which balanced strength and sensitivity. For his portrayal of the Phantom, he received The New Male Actor Award at the 8th Korea Musical Awards in January 2024.
Julian Kim portrayed Pierre Bezukhov in the Korean production of the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 from March to June 2024. He also played Emperor Gojong in the 30th anniversary production of the musical The Last Empress from December 2024 to July 2025, followed by the role of Yeogyeong, the 21st king of the Baekje dynasty, in the musical Arang from January to May 2026. He will play the title role in the 10th anniversary production of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street from December 2026 to May 2027, sharing the role with Cho Seung-woo and Kang Pil Seok. DatesTitleRoleVenueNo perf.2023-03-28 to 2023-06-18The Phantom of the OperaThe PhantomDream Theater, Busan, Korea302023-07-14 to 2023-11-18Charlotte Theater, Seoul, Korea312023-12-22 to 2024-02-04Keimyung Art Center, Daegu, Korea212024-03-28 to 2024-06-16Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812Pierre BezukhovUniversal Art Center, Seoul, Korea332024-12-10 to 2024-12-15The Last EmpressGojongKeimyung Art Center, Daegu, Korea22024-12-20 to 2024-12-29Dream Theater, Busan, Korea42025-01-21 to 2025-03-30Sejong Grand Theater, Seoul, Korea302025-04-04 to 2025-07-27Korean tour212026-01-27 to 2026-02-22ArangYeogyeongHaeoreum Grand Theater, National Theater of Korea182026-04-10 to 2026-05-10Charlotte Theater, Seoul, Korea182026-12-04 to 2027-05-02Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetSweeney ToddD-Cube Link Arts Center, Seoul, KoreaTBA
TV and media For his activities as a member of Miraclass, see Miraclass
TV Julian Jootaek Kim Kim appeared in all episodes of the TV shows Phantom Singer 2 and Phantom Singer All Stars. Kim performs in programs such as Open Concert () and TV Art Stage () on major Korean television networks from time to time. +YearTitle2013KBS Classic Odyssey, September 4Julian Kim(Jootaek Kim 김주택)-G.Verdi-O Carlo ascolta [Don Carlo] (2013.9.4 KBS 클래식 오디세이)Julian Kim(Jootaek Kim 김주택)-F.P Tosti-Malia (2013.9.4 KBS 클래식 오디세이)2014Simon Boccanegra, November 222016Fidelio - Pappano and Santa Cecilia, October 202017Phantom Singer 2, August 11 to November 32019TV Art Stage, July 132020JTBClecture, December 312021Phantom Singer All Stars, January 26 to April 20King of Mask Singer, October 242022TV Art Stage, March 15Opera Gala Land, December 252023Open Concert, July 92024 새날마중 (New Year's Welcome), December 312024SBS Culture: Sunhwa Arts School 50th Anniversary Alumni ConcertHankyung arteTV, Opera House, Season 2, Episode 52025Open Concert, May 18
Radio & other media Two series of opera education programs featuring Julian Kim's name in their titles have been broadcast on EBS in South Korea. Running from May 14, 2021, to August 26, 2022, Julian Jootaek Kim and Taeyang Jeong's Opera Opera consisted of 64 online episodes. Guest vocalists included You chaehoon, Yoo Seulgi, Baek Intae, ByeongMin Gil, John Noh, and Gihoon Kim. In 2022, excerpts from Lucia di Lammermoor were also performed in concert at the Seoul Art Center with So Young Park, , and Ku Bon Su, separate from the radio series. In 2022, Kim presented the VOD lecture series Julian Jootaek Kim's Opera Odyssey, which ran from June 21 to July 6, 2022.
Awards and recognition He won the Best New Artist Award at the Seoul Arts Center award in 2015 and Best New Actor Award at the 8th Korean Musical Awards in 2024.
Awards YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2015The 2nd SAC (Seoul Arts Center) Awards, KoreaBest New ArtistBaritone Julian Jootaek Kim Ricital, (May 31, 2015)2024The 8th Korea Musical AwardsBest New Male ArtistThe Phantom in the musical The Phantom Of The Opera
Discography
Albums +TitleDetailsPeak chart positionSalesKORVerdi: Giovanna d'Arco (Live) Released: March 25, 2016 Label: Dynamic srl, Italy Artists: Jessica Pratt/Jean-Francois Borras/Julian Kim Choir: Coro del Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari Conductor: Riccardo Frizza Orchestra: Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Formats: DVD/Blu-ray, digital downloadItaliana Released: June 5, 2019 Label: Arts & Artists, Decca Records, Korea Formats: CD, digital download21,547
Extended plays +TitleDetailsMonologue Release date: July 1, 2022 Label: Library Company, Danal Entertainment Formats: digital download
Singles TitleYearDetails"Heart Flower (Korean: 마음꽃)"2009Original Sound Track of TV drama, The Iron Empress (Korean: 천추태후), two versions"Non Ti Scordar Di Me"2019 Release date: May 31, 2019 Label: Arts & Artists, Decca Records Formats: digital download
Participation releases TitleYearDetailsTra 'poeti maledetti' e cabaret (Duparc, Chausson, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, Ibert, Poulenc)2008ISBN 88-467-2269-8
book with CD attachedBiografie degli esecutori Published by Teatro Comunale di Casalpusterlengo, Italy Artists: Sabina Belei, Loris Bertolo, Gianfranco Cerreto, Luca Ciammarughi, Francesca Franzil, Jootaek Kim, Myung-Jae Kho, Marco Laganà, Antonella Matarazzo, Angela Nisi, Raffaella Novel, Marta Tacconi, Paola Vianello, Barbara Vignudelli"Chanson Romanesque" (Don Quichotte à Dulcinèe)2008La Musica E Il Bene - Stagione 2006/2007La Musica E Il Bene - Stagione 2006/2007
Label: Suonare Records, Italy Artists: Various Artists"Chanson Epique" (Don Quichotte à Dulcinèe)"Chanson à Boire" (Don Quichotte à Dulcinèe)Schubert: Drei Gesange, D. 902: 12. "L'ncanto degli Occhi"2015Korean Young Musicians
Label: KBS Classic FM, Aulos Media, Korea