Elena So

The lyric soprano Elena So, born in Korea as Myung Hee Hyun, began her first piano lessons at the age of four. It was through her early work as a piano accompanist with various choirs that she discovered her passion for singing. Elena So studied singing at the renowned Hanyang University in her home city of Seoul, before completing a diploma in vocal studies with distinction at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. She subsequently passed her concert examination there and made her first guest appearances at the Cologne Opera. In addition to her studies, she attended masterclasses with Montserrat Caballé, Barbara Schlick and Christoph Pregardien. She was particularly influenced by Kammersänger Hans Sotin and Monica Pick-Hieronimi. Elena So has competed with great success in numerous competitions: amongst other achievements, she won 3rd prize at the Montserrat Caballé International Singing Competition and, through a further special prize, received a scholarship to attend the renowned singer’s masterclass. At the ‘Francisco Viñas’ Competition in Barcelona, she won the ‘Oratorio – Lied’ special prize and was a finalist in the opera category. She also won first prize at the ‘Podium for Young Vocal Soloists’. At the Cologne International Singing Competition, she was awarded third prize, as well as first prize in the Bergheim Singing Prize. Elena So has performed with many renowned orchestras and has worked with conductors such as Anna Skryleva, Helmuth Froschauer, Peter Neumann, Markus Stenz, Peter Falk, Horst Meinardus and Hermann Bäumer. Her tours have taken her to Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Andorra, Norway, Japan and South Korea. Elena So regularly captivates audiences and critics alike as a soloist at the Cologne and Essen Philharmonic Halls, the Historische Stadthalle in Wuppertal, the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, the Rheingau Music Festival and other international music festivals. Elena So has appeared as a soloist on numerous DVD, CD and radio recordings, including Handel’s *Joshua* and *Saul*, Haydn’s *The Creation*, Mozart’s *Requiem*, Mendelssohn’s *Paulus*, Humperdinck’s *Hansel and Gretel* and Mahler’s *Resurrection Symphony*.

Since the 2021/2022 season, Elena So has been a permanent member of the opera chorus at the Musiktheater im Revier (MiR) in Gelsenkirchen