SEJONG CHANG

BASS


REVIEWS

“Bass Sejong Chang possesses a rich, dark voice ideally suited to the role of Daland.”
— Das Opernmagazin, 2026

“Sejong Chang impressed particularly with his beautiful legato as David Riccio “

— OperaJournal, February 2024

“Vocally and visually, Chang brings ‘Madamina, il catalogo è questo’ to life with the perfect blend of humor, sarcasm, and wit.”
— Das Opernmagazin, 2023


South Korean bass Sejong Chang has established himself on the international opera stage with a rich, dark voice, refined musicianship and a commanding theatrical presence. Equally accomplished in Mozart, Italian bel canto and the German repertoire, his performances combine vocal warmth and flexibility with considerable dramatic depth. He has appeared at leading opera houses including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Semperoper Dresden and Oper Leipzig, where he has been a principal ensemble member since the 2012/13 season.

Recent highlights include his acclaimed role debut as Daland in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at Oper Leipzig in September 2026, marking an important development in his expanding dramatic repertoire. In 2025, he made two further significant role debuts at Leipzig: Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Don Profondo in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. His portrayal of Daland was praised by Das Opernmagazin for the richness of his voice and his ability to convey the character’s complexity.

Chang made his debut at Teatro alla Scala in 2021 as the Second Soldier in Richard Strauss’s Salome under Riccardo Chailly. Further international engagements include Colline in La bohème and the High Priest in Nabucco at Semperoper Dresden, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore at Nationaltheater Mannheim, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro at Teatro Comunale di Bolzano and Seoul Arts Center, and Reinmar von Zweter in Tannhäuser at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. He has also appeared at opera houses in Aachen, Chemnitz, Regensburg and Würzburg.

At Oper Leipzig, he has developed an exceptionally broad repertoire, encompassing major bass roles such as Figaro, Leporello, Sarastro, Don Basilio, Alidoro, Raimondo, Dulcamara, Colline and Sparafucile. His German repertoire includes works by Wagner and Richard Strauss, with appearances in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Rienzi, Das Liebesverbot, Die Frau ohne Schatten and Arabella. His interpretations have earned particular recognition for their dramatic intelligence, vocal authority and ability to move naturally between comic and serious characters.

He has worked with distinguished conductors including Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Chailly, Ulf Schirmer, Stefano Ranzani, Ivan Repušić, Omer Meir Wellber and Christoph Gedschold, as well as stage directors including Calixto Bieito, David Pountney, Damiano Michieletto, Katharina Thalbach and Rolando Villazón.

Alongside his operatic career, Chang is an experienced concert soloist whose repertoire includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Bach’s St John Passion and Mozart’s Requiem. He has performed with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Bochumer Symphoniker, Klassische Philharmonie Bonn and Macao Orchestra..

Born in Seoul, Sejong Chang studied at Hanyang University before continuing his vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. During his time in Germany, he was a member of the Opera Studio at Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen.


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CHRISTIAN KARLSEN