Daegu Opera House exchange showcases emerging artists, Western on world stage
Grad Hillary Tufford ‘resplendent’ in South Korea debut, Korean soloists perform on campus Dec. 5
An exchange between the Don Wright Faculty of Music and the Daegu Opera House is showcasing rising opera singers on the global stage.
The inaugural performance exchange precipitated Western music grad and mezzo-soprano Hillary Tufford’s recent international debut in South Korea and will bring three Korean soloists to campus next month.
Located in Daegu, South Korea – one of London, Ont.’s sister UNESCO Cities of Music – the Daegu Opera House is Korea’s principal opera venue. It’s also home to the Young Artist Opern Studio, which supports the growth of new opera singers, including mezzo-soprano Haeun Kim, soprano Heekyung Park and bass Kyubo Na, who will perform Dec. 5 at von Kuster Hall.
The partnership between Western and the Daegu Opera House also includes future pedagogical and student exchanges, with a goal to foster global engagement and musical diplomacy, key priorities for the faculty and university.
“This is currently the only relationship of its kind in the opera world in Canada,” said Michael Kim, dean of the Don Wright Faculty of Music. “It will give our students a global education experience and because this is Korea’s major opera house, it really puts Western in front of some of the most elite music institutions in South Korea.”
Leadership for the collaboration comes from Kim, piano division coordinator Kyung Kim, Daegu Opera Studio intendant Kab-Gub Chung, with support from the Don Wright Faculty of Music Opera/Voice division, the London Arts Council and the City of London Music Office.
Read full article and view video excerpt (via Western News, Nov. 25, 2025, by Keri Ferguson)
Photo credit: OperaVision, via Western News article
