Yena Choi (soprano) started with singing in her homeland South Korea at Incheon Arts High School (teacher Myung-Sung Han). She received a Bachelor’s degree in classical singing in 2018 at Seoul National University College of Music (teachers You-Jeong Jin, Hyeon-soo Suk, Yoon-Jeong Choi) and a Master’s degree in 2020 at Estonian Academy of Music and Theater under the guidance of Nadia Kurem. Yena has performed opera roles, including Gerardino (Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi) at Goyang Aram Nuri Art Center, Knaben (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte) at Seoul National University etc. In cooperation with the conductor Tõnu Kaljuste and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra Yena has sung soloist part in Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, Mozart’s Requiem etc. Before coming to Estonia she has also been a soloist of Incheon Full Gospel Church, vocal coach of Incheon Seo-gu Boys and Girls Choir and soloist of Seoul Seosomun Church. She has also worked as an accompanist for Gabriel Children’s Choir in South Korea, as a concertmaster for the Mozart’s opera Cosi fan tutte, as an accompanist for three years at the Apostles Church, and studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Since 2021 Yena is a soprano member of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
Photo: Kristian Kruuser