REVIEWS

“As Marie, Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee played the Annie Oakley hoyden with spirit and sang her regimental rataplans with gusto: transformed into a drawing-room toffette, she shaped ‘Par le rang’ quite beautifully.”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / Daily Telegraph

“In Hye-Youn Lee, the production is blessed with a singer whose voice is bright, clean and agile.”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / Evening Standard

“The young Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee sings with such beauty, and acts wit such engaging aplomb, as even to evoke memories of Natalie Dessay’s landmark performance as Marie at Covent Garden last year.”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / The Guardian

“Hye-Youn Lee, making her OHP debut, was little short of a revelation. It was immediately clear that her voice is an instrument of quality” smooth and creamy up and down the range, clearly and crisply produced. Her coloratura was delivered with aplomb but she was also touching in her exquisitely sing Second Act aria.”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / Musical Criticism

“The next big news was when Hye-Youn Lee came on stage as Marie. What a joy to hear a singer in full command of her voice! She was totally secure, with her quick vibrato ringing as true as a bell. She could also act, being a convincing tomboy with the garcons one minute, and genuinely fragile the next,”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / Music OMH

“Hye-Youn Lee was a marvellous Marie. This Korean singer’s voice has a really attractive shine with steely, flexible focus, which she showed off in crisply articulated runs and coloratura. She was a touching, funny and pretty actress as well, commanding the stage with delightful tomboyish charm and delivering her rataplans with satisfying precision.”
Marie: La Fille du Regiment / Opera Holland Park / Opera

Hye-Youn Lee is Lucia, a very beautiful voice, an astonishing facility, with impressive high notes. She plays the role of a young fragile, loving girl very well and was extremely moving in the Mad Scene.”
Lucia: Lucia di Lammermoor / Opéra national du Rhin /
Les Affiches Montenir

“Hye-Youn Lee, whose voice is one of the most brilliant to be heard day, brought great and expression to ‘Regnava nel silenzio’ with due regard to the sentiments expressed. Her cabaletta with its shining high notes and hair-raising coloratura was marvellously executed and received great applause.”
Lucia: Lucia di Lammermoor / Opéra national du Rhin / Baden Online

“…Hye-Youn Lee’s showstopper of a Musetta…”
Musetta: La bohème / Opera Holland Park / Musical Criticism

“Here in Hye-Youn Lee we have a Cio-Cio-San able to deliver the startlingly difficult vocal line while simultaneously producing a convincing dramatic performance as the cruelly abandoned child bride that cannot fail to move the audience to tears.”
Cio-Cio-San: Madama Butterfly / Grange Park Opera / Oxford Times

“An absolute star turn and fire cracker performance came from the delectable Musetta of Hye-Youn Lee. Her outrageous performance in Café Momus as Marcello feigns ignorance at her presence was one of the highlights of the evening.  Spiteful, capricious and thoroughly minxish, it was a masterclass in comic timing.    Vocally she projected a bright vibrant sounding “Quando m' en vo”, that was rapturously received by the audience.  The voice does have a quick vibrato which needs getting accustomed to, but it was a sensational performance far eclipsing some of the more famous interpreters of this role today.”
Musetta: La bohème / Opera Holland Park / Opera Britannia

“The other top-class performance comes from Hye-Youn Lee. She sings superbly as the coquettish Musetta and brings life and depth to a role that is too often played in two dimensions.”
Musetta: La bohème / Opera Holland Park / What’s On Stage

“Finally, Hye-Youn Lee brought a pretty appearance to Oscar, which she sang without difficulty and with brilliant lightness.”
Oscar: Un ballo in maschera / Opéra national du Rein / ConcertoNet

“The Korean Hye-Youn Lee performed Oscar with a flexible, refined voice and lively manner.”
Oscar: Un ballo in maschera / Opéra national du Rein / Kehler Zeitung