Karah Son graduated in Voice at the Yonsei University in Seoul, her native town. She then completed her musical education graduating from the Vivaldi Music Conservatory in Novara (Italy) and attending the Academy of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan under the guidance of Mirella Freni.

She distinguished herself in numerous international competitions: first prize at the national competition organized by Korea Joongang Daily, one of South Korea’s most important newspapers, in Seoul; first prize at the “Vissi D’Arte” international competition in Milan; Special Soroptimist Prize at the G.B. Viotti international competition in Vercelli (Italy); Premio Extraordinario at the Francisco Viñas international competition in Barcelona; second prize at the Opéra de Marseille international Competition. In 2007, she also won the prestigious Nicolai Ghiaurov scholarship.

She made her debut in 1997 singing Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro at the National Theater in Seoul. She has since performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Teatro S. Lorenzo in Milan; Mimì in La Bohème at the Teatro Cristallo in Bergamo, in Milan and at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari; Liù in Turandot in Verona (Teatro Filarmonico), in Bologna, in Nancy and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia (Lorin Mazel conducting).

Ms. Son recently sang: Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini at the Opéra in Monte-Carlo; Aida in Korea and in Halle; Madama Butterfly in Korea, Tampere, Warsaw, Leipzig, Berlin (Deutsche Oper), Goteborg, Turin, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Dresden, Cardiff, Sydney, Goteborg, Warsaw, Turin, Kansas City, Stuttgart, Montpellier, Bologna; La Bohème in Sydney, Turandot in Melbourne; Madama Butterfly in Angers, Nantes and Rennes; Verdi’s Requiem in Seoul.
She also recently performed series of concerts at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

Notable engagements:

Zerlina (Northern Italy); Mimì (Teatro Lirico, Cagliari); Liù Turandot (Verona Filarmonico, Bologna, Nancy, Palau de les Arts in Valencia (Maazel conducting); Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini (Monte Carlo); Aida (Korea, Halle); Cio-Cio San (Korea, Tampere, Warsaw, Leipzig, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gothenburg, Turin, Glyndebourne, Dresden, Cardiff, Sydney, Warsaw, Turin, Kansas City, Stuttgart, Montpellier, Bologna, Angers, Nantes, Rennes, San Francisco, Cincinnati); Mimì (Sydney); Turandot (Melbourne); Verdi’s Requiem (Seoul). She also recently performed aseries of concerts at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Forthcoming:

Cio-Cio San (Detroit, Copenhagen, Chicago); Tosca (Melbourne, Sydney).

7 Deaths of Maria Callas will be her ENO debut.