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Baek’s critically acclaimed portrayal of Samson was not only a house and role debut, but also his professional debut as a tenor, having transitioned from baritone over the coronavirus lockdown period. As a baritone, he was an Adler Fellow and a member of the Merola Programme at the San Francisco Opera, as well as a former resident artist of the Lyric Opera of Kansas and an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music.
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include a role debut as Henri in Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes as well as a reprisal of the title role in Samson et Dalila for the Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden. Baek makes his house debut as Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana for Chicago Lyric, as well as his role and house debut as Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth with the Bayerische Staastoper. He returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, as well as to the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Radamès in Verdi’s Aida and as Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot. On the concert platform this season, Baek makes his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, as well as with the Seattle Symphony in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 led by Xian Zhang.
In the 2023/24 season, Baek made his much-anticipated Metropolitan Opera debut as Ismaele in Verdi’s Nabucco, and has made several returns to the house including as Calaf Turandot, Cavaradossi Tosca & Radamès Aida. Since making his debut at the Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden in 2022, Baek has also appeared as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, Radamès Aida, Turiddu Cavalleria Rusticana, Cavaradossi Tosca & Calaf Turandot. Other recent highlights include Calaf Turandot for Teatro San Carlo, Radamès Aida for Teatro del Maggio Musical Fiorentino & Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Cavaradossi Tosca & Rodolfo La Bohème for Arizona Opera.
Recent concert highlights include performances of Verdi’s Requiem with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia led by Sir Antonio Pappano, with the Royal Danish Orchestra conducted by Bertrand de Billy, for the Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the baton of Zubin Mehta, and in his BBC Proms debut performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Other highlights include Baek’s recent festival debuts at the Tanglewood Festival in a concert performance as Cavaradossi Tosca with the Boston Symphony Orchestra & Andris Nelsons, the Lanaudière Festival in a concert performance as Radamès Aida with the Orchestre Métropolitain & Yannick Nézet-Séguin, as well as at the Salzburg Osterfestspiele.
2025/26 season - 464 words. Not to be altered without permission.