SPOTLIGHT 26/05/21 Korean Catholic singer’s mission of joy, hope and comfort

[성기화 요셉]

Agnes Im Sun-hae found the meaning of her musical journey while sitting in a cathedral in 2009

Agnes Im Sun-hae performs at the Mapo Arts Center in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 12, 2025. (Photo: The Mapo Cultural Foundation)

By Michaela Lee Ju-yeon

Published: May 21, 2026 12:03 PM GMT

Updated: May 21, 2026 12:12 PM GMT

Famed soprano Agnes Im Sun-hae’s first performance of the year was not held in a concert hall packed with thousands of fans and listeners.

Instead, she sang her most beautiful songs in front of a small crowd of a few hundred people at a small Church and nursing home in the countryside of Jeonbuk, a province about 200 kilometers from the South Korean capital Seoul.

Most of the audience at the “Hope Sharing Concert,” also known by its Korean name “Hinakon,” in mid-January were elderly residents of the nursing home. Some of them shed tears as they were overcome by emotion while she sang.

Im not just performed for them but also joined the residents in enjoying ramen, fish cake, soup, and kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, prepared by local Catholics.

She hugged the elderly men and women before bidding them goodbye.

"When will I ever be able to hear something like this again in my lifetime?" whispered one resident as she left.

The 50-year-old Catholic is dubbed one of the world’s best-known performers of soprano, a musical genre involving the highest human vocal register, typically sung by women or boys.

She has been singing for the past 28 years across major cities of the world.

Belgian musician René Jacobs described her as "one of the most outstanding performers and singers I know.”

Im termed her experience with “Hinakon” in Jeonbuk as a fulfilment of her long career.

It is a place where a return to one's original intentions and contemplation naturally arise, something that cannot be obtained on a large stage, she said.

Hope and Sharing

The Hinakon began during a Cultural Festival at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul in 2009. It changed the original format in 2013.

It holds 'Hope Concerts' at the invitation of institutions or parishes, and uses the proceeds to organize 'Sharing Concerts' at rural churches, welfare facilities, and hospitals where access to music is difficult. In these Sharing Concerts, musicians donate their talents without receiving performance fees.

More than two decades on, Hinakon has been credited for establishing a culture of hope and sharing.

Testimonies show the concerts have a significant impact.

Last year, a concert was performed at Church-run Gangneung Calvary Hospital, which began as Asia’s first palliative care hospice in 1965, run by the Little Companions of Mary congregation.

One patient, who had long refused to let anyone into their room, opened the heart to the music playing outside. Finally, he asked to be brought inside. Two days later, he passed away.

The latest Hinakon concert was held at Hogyedong Parish in the Suwon Diocese on May 9. Such concerts are scheduled to be held in several places, including in the Chuncheon Diocese.

Comfort and Joy

Born in Cherwon, South Korea in 1976, Im studied Vocal Music at Seoul National University and University of Music Karlsruhe in Germany.

In 1997, she won several national and international awards for singing in Seoul and Japanese cities of Osaka and Tokyo.

In 2000, she was one of the finalists of the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels.

She began her global music tours in 1999 with the first performance in Antwerp, Belgium, where she performed Mozart’s "Et Incarnatus Est."

Throughout her career, Im has searched for an answer to a single question: “What is the meaning of a song in the world?”

Ten years after her music debut, she found the answer while sitting in a cathedral.

“Two words — ‘comfort’ and ‘joy’ came to my mind.  At first, I interpreted it as meaning that I should give comfort and joy to the world,” she recalled.

However, the next moment, those words sounded different to her. "To make you happy, to comfort you."

Until then, she had never considered that a song was a source of joy and comfort to herself.

“I began to believe, ‘Since I am comforted and happy, this song can bring joy to others as well” she said.

Until an Asian sang Bach's Passion

In the European music scene, Bach's Passion is a special realm.

Although it is performed every year during Lent in concert halls and churches alike, it is rare for an Asian to stand in the soprano soloist position on those performances.

Around 2005, an opportunity came to Im. The rehearsal turned out well, too. However, she was eventually replaced by a German soprano, regardless of her singing ability.

A few years later, René Jacobs, a world-renowned musician from Belgium, entrusted Im with the role of soprano soloist for both the St. Matthew Passion and the St. John Passion.

Jacobs, who had observed Im through their long collaboration, explained the reason for his casting.

“This Asian possesses what Europeans had when creating this music, but have now lost,” he had said.

When preparing for a performance, Im devotes the most effort to the lyrics. She compares foreign language lyrics in at least two languages ​​and ultimately translates them into Korean.

The oratorio stage, where she stands upright holding a single sheet of music, holds a special significance for her. It is a time when she must convey her message solely through her gaze and voice, without elaborate costumes, stage sets, or acting.

Describing it as “music that keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground again and humbles me,” Im shared, “Whenever I sing, I ask that it become my prayer, rather than being seen as outstanding by others.”

She is a devout Catholic like her parents. She goes to Church regularly and never forgets to pray before a meal.

“Once in Europe, when I made the sign of the cross before meals, everyone initially looked wide-eyed. But by the next meal, people started following suit,” she recalled.

Im says she would continue her musical journey as long as she can.