Biography

Korean mezzo-soprano HaYoung Jung has been praised by San Diego Story for her “gleaming” voice and “touching and compelling” character interpretations. Recent performances include a solo appearance in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra at Bing Concert Hall and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly with Pocket Opera.

For her portrayal of Suzuki, Theatre Eddys—SF Bay Area Theater Reviews praised her “arresting poise and an emotionally moving mezzo-soprano,” writing that her “compelling voice shakes us to the core as she sings her grief over Butterfly’s final demise.” She will return to Pocket Opera to reprise the role in its revival of Madame Butterfly.

HaYoung’s operatic work reflects a commitment to expressive singing and vivid characterization. At the University of Michigan, she performed Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni under the baton of Martin Katz and direction of Mo Zhou, and Prince Charming in Cendrillon. She made her U.S. debut as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at the Miami Music Festival. Her repertoire also includes Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica with Peabody Opera, Valencienne in The Merry Widow with Opera NEO, and appearances in Un ballo in maschera, Così fan tutte, and Louise.

Alongside her work in opera, HaYoung maintains an interest in contemporary vocal music and American art song. She premiered Zach Gulaboff Davis’s Summer Night and The Wood Road, collaborating with the composer to bring new works to the stage. She was also selected as a fellow of the Thomas Hampson American Song Institute, where she deepened her exploration of American song under Hampson’s guidance.

Her awards include second place at the Opera Ithaca Edward Murray International Voice Competition and the Mezzo-Soprano Hilda Harris Prize at the George Shirley Vocal Competition. She has been a finalist in the Pittsburgh Festival Opera Mildred Miller Competition and the Detroit Aria Competition, and has competed internationally in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia and the Viotti International Competition in Italy.

HaYoung has worked with conductors, directors, and vocal coaches including Marin Alsop, Kenneth Kiesler, Martin Katz, and Mo Zhou. Highlights include a concert performance of Bernstein’s Mass with Peabody Opera under Alsop and a concert performance of Carmen under Kiesler.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Scott Piper and Amanda Majeski; a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Elizabeth Futral and Ah Young Hong; and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Yonsei University, where she studied with Hyewon Moon.

Complementing her performance career, HaYoung is an experienced educator whose college-level teaching encompasses vocal technique, performance practice, and interpretation. Drawing on her experience across operatic, concert, and contemporary repertoire, she helps students develop technical confidence, artistic independence, and their own expressive voices. As both a performer and teacher, she is committed to the connection between text, music, and storytelling that makes vocal performance a shared human experience.