Opera News 6월호

[chul]

이번 달 Opera News cover story가 홍혜경 씨네요.

CURRENT ISSUE: FEATURE June 2007, vol 71, no. 12

Making History
One of the first Korean artists to make an international opera career, Hei-Kyung Hong reflects on the changing nature of the classical-music business. SO-CHUNG SHINN reports.


"To succeed in music, it is important to have qualities that burn, an aggressive and competitive fire. Koreans have this character."




As Liù in the Met's 2007 Turandot
© Beatriz Schiller 2007




Violetta in Traviata, 2007
© Beth Bergman 2007






Portrait photographed in New York's Central Park by Marty Umans
Makeup and hair by Mili Simon/ENNIS; styling by Zoe Engelberg; scarf by Han Feng
© Marty Umans 2007

OPERA NEWS: Were you exposed to opera while growing up in Korea?

HEI-KYUNG HONG: I really did not have an understanding of Western opera until I came to America and went to Juilliard [as a teenager], when I started singing roles. My first role at Juilliard was the queen of Hades in Monteverdi's Orfeo. I had to wear all black, silver, sparkles, different masks, and my hair was teased out to here. A big tulle dress, black-and-white makeup, long nails — it was a very dramatic costume. I immediately became someone else. Playing a character other than myself, studying her, knowing who she was, why she was there, and convincing others was so pleasurable. I was at home. I knew definitely, immediately, that opera was my destiny, my calling.

ON: After more than twenty-five years of experience, what do you see as the next step?

HKH: I am at that point now — I know that I should really pass on my experience, my technique. It is priceless, what I have learned. And I'm more than happy to pass it along.

I had the fortune to study with Elizabeth Bishop as a pre-college student. She was a fantastic teacher who never had any children. She took care of her students very well. She gave me vitamins, advice. She was more than just a teacher. And I always thought that when she talked about not having children, she became very sad. She loved her husband dearly and often spoke of her nieces and nephews. I had many teachers at Juilliard, because I was there for nine years. I felt that if they did it over again, they would spend more time with home life, with children, and perhaps have had more children. Shirlee Emmons — what a fantastic teacher! She had one daughter. You would go to each teacher's studio and see pictures of their children, their grandchildren. The only time you saw their genuine happiness and fulfillment was when they talked about their family. So I observed these people who had great careers, and in the end, what really mattered to them was family.

Twenty years from now, people will say, "Who is Hei-Kyung Hong?" People are quick to forget. But I will have my family. This is what really matters. Your legacy is your children and their children.

ON: In her last interview with OPERA NEWS [July 2006], Elizabeth Schwarz-kopf said that Asian singers will become more prominent in the future of opera.

HKH: I think that what she was seeing, from the European artist's point of view, is that a lot of Asian students, especially Korean students, are studying and performing in Europe. I go to many places [there], and there are more Asian chorus members than at the Met. There are many Korean students singing and studying in small houses. There are more opera houses there, so they have much more opportunity than here. Schwarzkopf probably saw a lot of students beginning their careers there. From what I see right now, many Eastern Europeans are coming to the U.S.

I see a lot of Asian students and young professionals, but I don't see many reach the ultimate level of singing major roles at the Met and the biggest international houses. I mean, it is astounding if you compare the number of Asians who are studying voice to how many people actually make it. Many houses still are quite prejudiced.

ON: Are the prejudices easier to overcome in Europe?

HKH: I really don't know. I've been to the top places. Some places are very prejudiced. Here, in the beginning, I've been called everything from "pizza face" to "Korean bombshell." [She laughs.] It takes time to be accepted, but people get used to seeing us and how we conduct ourselves in this great nation. Twenty-five years ago, when I first started, Asian singers were not seen on the opera stage singing Western characters. So it took time for people to get used to this. But they did. And they will become even more accepting as they see more Asians in advertisements, media and movies.

Asian singers haven't been here that long. I believe that it wasn't until after the Korean War that the influence of Western culture infiltrated Korea. We were inundated with American stuff like milk and candy.... My boyfriend gave me one piece of American chocolate every day. [She laughs.] We didn't know America until the Korean War. And American people didn't really know Korea until then. Twenty-five years ago, if someone had told me that a Korean woman would be interviewing me for OPERA NEWS, and that I would be wearing a dress designed by a Korean designer for the photo, I wouldn't have believed it! This is more history-making in America.

So when I first sang here, people said, "What are you doing!?" When I did well, I was treated as an exotic novelty, because I was Asian. I was probably paid more attention than a normal American girl. Everyone paid attention to me, the good and bad, which was great for a performer who needed publicity.

ON: It was also a big responsibility. If you did well, you could open more doors for Asians who followed you.

HKH: A great responsibility. I put too much pressure on myself, actually — maybe more than I needed to. But I always felt that whenever I opened my mouth, I really had to be perfect. I had to be really good. I wanted to show Asians in a good light, not as people who were helpless, war-torn and needy. The image had to be changed. And it has. When I first started singing here, there were no positive images for Asian people. Then the economic boom of Japan catapulted Asians onto the social scene. For Americans, money and technology speak volumes. Suddenly, sushi and chopsticks became something exotic and wonderful that everyone wanted to try. And I got to add another layer to American history.



Met mainstay: Eva in Meistersinger with
James Morris as Hans Sachs, 2007
© Beatriz Schiller 2007

ON: How has America influenced Korea in terms of opera?

HKH: [In part], Western music came to Korea through the missionaries, which is how I was exposed to Western music. In Kwang Ju, where I grew up, the first missionaries came from West Virginia. My grandfather built the first Presbyterian Church with these missionaries, who sang and taught hymns to the people. Missionary Talmage brought with him a collapsible, portable organ, the kind that you pump with your foot. Sadly, when the Japanese colonized Korea in 1910, they chased out all American influences in the country, so the missionaries had to leave. Mr. Talmage gave the organ to my grandfather, and all of my aunts and uncles learned to play the piano on that organ.

After the Korean War, we perceived Americans as the people who saved us. We were awed by Americans and thought that everything they brought with them, good and bad, was good —popsicles, gum, powdered milk, even music.

We are very artistic people who deeply love music, visual art, ballet, etc. We are also very good at it. We are passionate, explosive and expressive, unlike Japanese society, which is proper, nice, civil and doesn't show much emotion. Koreans laugh loudly and love to drink. At the same time, we are extremely disciplined, work very hard and have a strong competitive spirit. This is partly why Koreans place such importance on the study of music at an early age. Also, when I was growing up, music lessons were considered a status symbol. If your family could afford a piano, you were thought of as better off than most. Of all the pieces of furniture in your home, the piano was the most prized possession.

To succeed in music, it is important to have qualities that burn, an aggressive and competitive fire. Koreans have this character. However, even if you possess this spirit, you will not perform at the Met and La Scala if Western people don't accept you. World stage acceptance is very important. Now, you have to look at Asian history in the Western world. I can only speak about America, because this is where my experience has been.

In the '70s, the Japanese were [still] perceived as bad people who attacked Pearl Harbor; Koreans were seen as war-torn people who needed to be saved. In the '80s, there was a technology and automobile boom, largely due to Japanese companies. Americans started to view the Japanese differently. In the '90s, Korea experienced its share of economic success. Within one generation, Korea transformed from being one of the poorest countries to the world's tenth-strongest economic power. Now China is projected to be the number-one economic nation within the next fifteen to twenty years. Americans are paying attention and looking at Asians positively, with respect and curiosity. This attitude is starting to infiltrate the opera world.



As Violetta at a Met Parks Concert in 2006
© Beth Bergman 2007


ON: You have been a mainstay of the Met's Parks series. What are some of the challenges of performing in the parks?

HKH: First of all, physically, it is difficult for me, because the park usually has a lot of dust, and I have many allergies. Singing opera and having allergies don't mix too well, because stages usually have plumes of dust. Actually, the Met stage is fantastic, because there is a wonderful water-spray system. There is no house like the Met that takes such good care of its singers. But for the park performances, I stay in my trailer until right before my entrance. But I love the format, where people don't have to pay for great music. Families can enjoy music under the sun, under the stars. You are introducing your art to people whom you may never have reached before, who would never go to an opera house, maybe because they can't afford the ticket price, or whatever reason. You are introducing your art to a wider range of people. I take it just as seriously as I do for any opera performance.

ON: Your first Central Park performance was as Mimì in 1987.

HKH: Was it? I don't remember. I just remember Liù and Micaela. I don't remember my first Bohème. Maybe it wasn't that good! But I love seeing people on the grass and opera in nature. It is quite magical — natural light, natural breeze, to see people in a natural setting, being absolutely natural. There is no pretension. I just sing and enjoy it. And the audience is quite different. They are more relaxed, not there to show off in any way. I don't know how else to explain it. Being outside with great music in the summertime is very special.

I mark twenty years of singing in the Park concerts this year. I truly believe that this path was set for me, and I merely followed it, obeyed my calling. But I also owe so much of my success to Maestro Levine. He has an incredible soul and is a wonderful advocate for singers. He is not here to show off but to make beautiful music. If it weren't for him, I couldn't be where I am now. He took such care and interest in my career. He always took care of my voice by giving me roles that were good for me. When I first sang Liù, he came into my dressing room, beaming, and said, "Nothing heavier than this!" He also gave me opportunities while I raised my three children, so that I could stay at home and take care of my family. He is caring and decent, and it is because of the way he nurtured my talent and voice that I am still able to sing well today. He is a very special maestro.

You know, I was born in the summertime, on July 4. Isn't it amazing that the entire nation celebrates on my birthday with fireworks and barbecues? Maybe this was a sign that I was meant to be celebrated in America!

[Paul]

너무 좋은 인터뷰에요!!! 올려주셔서 감사합니다!

[Steinway&Sons]

정말 대단하네요. 정선생님이나 홍혜경씨나 예술로서 국위선양을 한 애국자들이시죠. 자랑스러워요. ^^

[chul]

처음 홍혜경 씨가 쥴리아드에서 노래 할 때 피짜 페이스라고 놀리는 소리까지 들었다는 건 정말 놀라운 일화에요.

[yang]

번역 좀 해주세요.

[chul]

Yang님, 또 이렇게 무책임하게 올려서 죄송해요 ㅎㅎ