Tenor Simon Kyung Lee began his musical career in his hometown of Busan, South Korea, at an early age. It was upon a move to Italy that it was discovered that he had a natural affinity for the Verismo style. Under the guidance of Carlos Montané and Mtro. Ubaldo Gardini he was able to effortlessly increased his vocal power. With his Italian studies he began to take command of works by Italian greats such as Verdi and Puccini.

Mr. Lee enjoyed the culmination of that work at a recital at the first annual Festival Notte Musicali Modenesi in Italy. From there he moved to the United States where he participated in the Sherrill Milnes Opera Program, working under the guidance of Sherrill Milnes and Inci Bashar. It was under the direction of world renowned opera singers, Jennifer Larmore and Giacomo Aragall, that Mr. Lee was able to quickly advance his career to include his Carnegie Hall debut for Haydn’s Paukenmesse with New England Symphony, Giles Corey in The Crucible, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Calaf in Turandot, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Alfredo in La Traviata, Radames in Aida, Duca in Rigoletto, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera, 3rd Jew in Salome, Luigi in Il Tabarro, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and even a rarely heard Verdi opera the I Lombardi in his Chicago Premiere with the da Corneto Opera as Arvino.

He has appeared as leading tenor with companies in the United States and Europe as well as in Asia, include Singapore Lyric Opera, Opera New Hampshire, Vail Opera, Palm Desert Opera, the Gold & Treasure Coast Operas, Panama City Opera, Utah Festival Opera, da Corneto Opera, Chamber Opera Chicago, Chicago Festival Opera, Kansas City Puccini Festival, Opera North Carolina, Opera Tulsa, Sunstate Opera, Teatro Lirico D’Europa and World Classical Musical Society. A two-time recipient of awards from the National Bel Canto Foundation, Mr. Lee has utilized his flair with Italian music to his advantage in scores of solo concerts and recitals around the Midwest, including a gala concert in which the musical artists of North and South Korea performed together on the same Chicago stage for the first time.

Lee’s 2016-18 engagements included Radames in Aida, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Duca in Rigoletto, Don José in Carmen, and Calaf in Turandot with Teatro Lirico D’Europa. In 2014-19, He has also appeared as soloist in the production Persuasion with Chamber Opera Chicago’s U.K summer tours include Edinburgh Summer Festival, UK and continue to sing numerous concerts throughout the United States.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought unprecedented challenges to the Performing Arts Industry. However, Mr. Lee’s resilience shone through as he seized online platforms to honor classical music through several virtual concerts, enriching the local musical landscape within limitations. His return to the stage was marked by a successful performance in Chamber Opera Chicago’s production of Jane Austen’s Persuasion during the pandemic. Beginning 2024 on a high note, he mesmerized audiences with a sold-out portrayal of Calaf in Turandot at St. Pete Opera, garnering resounding success. Venturing into new territories, Mr. Lee had set to make his debut in Croatia as a guest soloist at the esteemed Noctes Aquae Iasae Festival, further solidifying his reputation as a versatile and accomplished tenor on the international opera scene.

Mr. Lee is a faculty member of Operamaya, Summer Opera Program in Mexico, also teaches at Chamber Opera Chicago Studio and private studio in Chicagoland. He currently resides in the Chicago Suburb of Woodridge, Illinois.