SUA LEE
The soprano Sua Lee, a graduate of Yonsei University’s College of Music, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory. She has given two solo recitals as part of the Kumho Prodigy and Young Artist Concert Series. Her stage experience includes roles in full productions of Le nozze di Figaro, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Rigoletto. She has received numerous awards in national competitions in Korea, including First Prize in Music Chunchoo.
PROGRAM
First Round
Ambroise Thomas — Mignon — “Je suis Titania”
Benjamin Britten — A Midsummer Night’s Dream — “Be kind and courteous”
Semifinal
Jacques Offenbach — Les contes d’Hoffmann — “Les oiseaux dans la charmille”
Jonathan Dove — Flight — “The stars are falling down… Down you go”
Final with orchestra
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The first round combines Philine’s aria, “Je suis Titania,” from Massenet’s Mignon, with “Be kind and courteous,” a passage of Tytania from Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as she addresses Bottom after meeting him. The semifinal continues with two arias of great impact and difficulty: the first is “Les oiseaux dans la charmille” of Olympia from Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann, where the character sings like an automaton, yet with great technical precision. The journey concludes with “Down you go” of the Controller from Jonathan Dove’s opera Flight, an excellent example of the modern repertoire, with a tight text and fast rhythms that reflect the character’s urgency and pressure.