World-renowned tenor Ramon Vargas joins Seoul National University as professor

By KTimes

Mexican-born world-class tenor Ramon Vargas, 65, has been appointed as a full professor in the vocal music department at the Seoul National University.

According to the university on March 2, Vargas was specially recruited and will begin teaching students this semester.

Vargas is regarded as one of the leading figures among the post-Three Tenors, following in the footsteps of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

His lyrical tenor voice, often compared to Pavarotti’s for its bright timbre and soaring high notes, has earned him recognition as one of the finest in the field.

Born in Mexico City, Vargas began his vocal training there before making his breakthrough in Europe after winning the Enrico Caruso Competition in Milan in 1986.

His global recognition soared in 1992 when he made his New York debut in "Lucia di Lammermoor" as a stand-in for Pavarotti.

Following this success, he performed in "Falstaff" at Italy’s La Scala in 1993, earning the prestigious Lauri-Volpi Award, cementing his status as a leading figure in Latin American opera.

Vargas first visited South Korea in 2015, performing duet concerts at the Seoul Arts Center and Busan Cinema Center alongside soprano Hong Hei-kyung.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.