Youngmi Kim

South Korean soprano opera singer (born 1954) Youngmi KimBorn (1954-11-06) November 6, 1954 (age 71)Daegu, South KoreaEducationSeoul Arts High SchoolAccademia Nazionale di Santa CeciliaOccupationOpera singerKorean nameHangul김영미RRGim YeongmiMRKim Yŏngmi Youngmi Kim (Korean: 김영미; born November 6, 1954) is a South Korean vocalist known for her performance as a soprano opera singer. Early life and education Kim was born in Daegu, South Korea, and graduated from Yewon Middle School and Seoul Arts High School. In 1973, she entered the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy. Kim studied with Professor Jolanda Magnoni and received her master's degree in 1979. Kim comes from a family with a long history in music. Her maternal grandfather (Ahn Ki-yong) was the first Korean musician trained at a conservatory in the United States. Ahn Ki-yong's operas (Kong-jui Pat-jui and Kyonwu-Jiknyo) were the first and the second Western-style operas ever written and produced in Korea. Career Having studied in Rome, Kim acquired training in Italian operatic works and was the first singer of Korean birth to enter the Verona and Puccini Competitions. She performed in her first compl