Students 2021-2023

Polish soprano Agata Kowalik was born in Staszów. She is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp under the tutelage of Gary Jankowski. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Scotland, where she studied with Elizabeth McCormack and graduated with Honours. As a member of the RCS Chamber Ensemble, she participated in several opera productions and concerts, including a collaboration with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Opera.   

While studying in Belgium, Agata participated in many musical projects. In 2021 she performed as Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. From 2022 onwards, she has been an extra member of the choir at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. She also participated in many competitions and masterclasses. In the summer of 2022, Agata took part in the Lute Song Mastercourse in Schwäbisch Gmünd where she won the Hans Judenkönig Prize.   

Agata regularly performs across Europe. Her last project was a tour around Latvia, performing with her newly formed Ensemble.  

Turkish soprano Ecem Topcu started working at the Samsun State Opera and Ballet immediately after her Bachelor graduation (highest grade) from Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory. She made her professional debut in 2018 as Arsena in Der Zigeunerbaron and in 2019 as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro.  

Ecem sung as a soloist at the Gala Concerts, the Season Opening Night Concerts and at the Spring Concerts of Samsun State Opera House with Samsun Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Symphony Orchestra, Hacettepe University Symphony Orchestra and Izmir State Opera Symphony Orchestra, and the Belgian National Orchestra.  

Ecem sang in several opera and operetta productions such as Rita in Rita, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ernestina in L’occasione fa il ladro, Euridice in Orfeo ed Euridice, and Ciboletta in Eine Nacht in Venedig, Vally in Das Land des Lächelns, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. 

She was awarded 3rd Prize at the Young Soloist National Singing Competition 2019 (Izmir) and Honorable Mention in Yalçın Davran National Singing Competition 2019 (Ankara). 

She has taken part in several masterclasses by renowned opera singers and coaches from all around the world (Ailyn Pérez, Wim Henderickx, Lisette Oropesa, Howard Watkins, David Lomelí, Maia Mari Chikradze, Murat Karahan, Ragnar Conde, Sef Thissen, Abdiel Vázquez, Hein Boterberg, Sabrina Avantario, Martin Wölfel, Dietrich Henschel, Filip Rathé, Muriel Corradini, Charlotte Margiono, Jennifer Rowley) and worked with many conductors including Pietro Rizzo, Alejo Pérez, Duncan Ward, Benjamin Haemhouts, Naci Özgüç, Lorenzo Castriota, Tulio Gagliardo Varas, Sunay Muratov, Serdar Yalçın, Andrea Francesco Solinas, Zdravko Lazarof, Kıvanç Tepe, Marco Morrone, Murat Göktaş, Artun Hoinic, Augusto Arias, Mikhail Istrov, and Antonio Pirolli. Further, Ecem worked with directors such as Ivo Van Hove, Peter Konwitschny, Guy Joosten, Wolfgang Gruber, Fanny Gilbert Collet, Frans Willem de Haas, Gürçil Çeliktaş, Evin Atik, Yİğit Günsoy, Haldun Özörten, Zeynep Çelen Tamer, Ayşe Dagistanlı, Şahan Gürkan, Hafız Guliyev, Recep Ayyılmaz, and Stefaan Degand. 

Since 2021, Ecem is a member of the International Opera Academy in Ghent, Belgium. With her fellow students, Ecem has taken part in productions such as LoveMusik, Don Giovanni, Bad Composers and Doem & Verlossing. 

Ecem opened the season 2022-2023 at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as Mädchen in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (directed by Ivo Van Hove, conducted by Alejo Perez and Duncan Ward). Later this season, Ecem will perform with the members of IOA in The Rape of Lucretia and in A Brief Draft of Human Desires at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. She will perform as soloist at concerts with the Belgian National Orchestra including Christmas Concert – Mozart Viva la Libertà! (2022) and Carl Nielsen Symphony No.3 (2023, conducted by Michael Schønwandt at BOZAR).  

Japanese soprano Eriko Hashimoto was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1992.  

She started her singing studies at a very young age, and graduated from the University of Music in Kunitachi in 2014. She continued her studies with Maria Bianca Casoni and Luca Gorla, and obtained her Master’s degree with full marks from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan in 2020. In 2021, Eriko joined the AMO academy (Operastudio of Teatro Coccia in Novara). She perfected her studies under the guidance of soprano Manuela Bisceglie. 

Eriko was Annina in Traviata at the Teatro Pro Loco in Borgosesia (2015); she was Suora Infermiera in Suor Angelica under the direction of Aldo Salvagno and Renato Bonajuto (part of the Tones on the Stones Festival, 2017). In 2019, Eriko was Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Teatro Carcano in Milan under the direction of Giuseppe Montesano and Mattia Testi. Also that year, she collaborated as a solo soprano in the Krönungsmesse (Mozart) under the direction of Amedeo Monetti. In 2021 she was Cendrillon in Viardot’s Cendrillon, directed by Teresa Gargano.  

Eriko’s concert activity ranges from the lyrical to the chamber and sacred repertoire. 

Since October 2021, Eriko is a member of the International Opera Academy in Ghent. 

Ernestina Jošt is a lyrical-coloratura soprano from Slovenia. From childhood onwards, music has been an important part of her life. She studied at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, where she completed her master’s degree with Theresa Plut. She then enrolled at the specialisation programme at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.
She performed a Mozart’s Mass in C-major with the Academic choir of St. Cecilia and chamber orchestra in 2017. In 2018 she participated in Vivaldi’s Gloria in D-major together with the baroque orchestra of Academy of Music, Ljubljana and the mixed choir Glasbena matica. She regularly performs as a soloist with the choir Carmen manet. She sang a solo in the winning performance in the Eurovision Choir competition in 2017, which was broadcasted all over Europe. Together with the Carmen manet choir and Slovenian Philharmonic chamber orchestra, she performed Magnificat from Kim Andre Arnesen. In 2020 she performed as a mother in the youth opera Všeč si mi (I like you) by Slovenian composer Damijan Močnik.
Ernestina has been performing as a soloist with the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Gymnasium Kranj in the Gallus Hall of the Cankar Centre for several years. In 2021 she sang the role of Cunigunde in Candide, in collaboration with the Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre.  

She won the first prize at International Music Masterclass and competition Maribor 2020.  

Ernestina regularly attends master classes by renowned singing educators, such as Charlotte Lehman, Martin Vacha, Marvin Keenze, Hans Adolfsen and others. 

Since October 2022, Ernestina has joined the International Opera Academy in Ghent, Belgium. 

Korean tenor Kwanhee Park graduated from the Conservatory of Music Giuseppe Verdi in Italy (2018-2021). 

As a student, Kwanhee distinguished himself by the colour and passionate phrasing of his voice. In South Korea, he sang Rodolfo (Bohème), Tamino (Magic Flute), Nemorino (Elisir d ’amore) and Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi). 

In Italy he made his debut as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi in an installation in Carrara (2019) on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the Academy of Fine Arts, supervised by baritone Sergio Bologna and directed by Marco Gandini. 

Later, Kwanhee attended the prestigious Advanced Course for Opera Singers of the Luciano Pavarotti-Freni Municipal Theater Foundation of Modena (2020-2021). There, he studied with Leone Magiera, Mariella Devia, Barbara Frittoli, Chris Merrit, and Luccio Gallo. 

Since October 2021, Kwanhee studies at the International Opera Academy in Ghent, Belgium. 

Ukranian mezzo-soprano Oleksandra Kuzmina (1993) graduated from Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts with a Masters’ degree in 2015, where she studied as an opera singer with Nataliya Govorukhina and as a chamber music performer with Svitlana Klebanova. In 2019, Oleksandra obtained a PhD with a thesis on children’s opera. 

Immediately after her graduation in 2015, Oleksandra was hired as a soloist at the Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic. There, she sang recitals and performed as a soloist in a.o. Bach’s Magnificat, Dvořak’s Stabat Mater, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. She also took part in different concert programmes and musical plays for children. 

Oleksandra was engaged as a guest singer in two productions at the Kharkiv M. V. Lysenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre: as Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium (2020) and Domashka in Gubarenko’s Svat Mymovoli (2018). As a member of the operastudio at Kharkiv University, she performed as a.o. Lady Pamela in Auber’s Fra Diavolo, Agata in Fioravanti’s Le Cantatrici Villane, Olga in Tschaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Hata in Smetana’s Bartered Bride, and Flora Bervoix in Verdi’s La Traviata. 

Seeking to perfect her skills, Oleksandra participated in masterclasses with a.o. Nelly Miricioiu, Raul Gimenez, Giuliano Carella, Siegfried Jerusalem, Tatiana Korsunskaya, Olga Wien, and Johannes G. Schmidt. In 2022 she won the 31st International Singing Competition Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg.  

In previous years, Oleksandra received scholarships from the Rotary Club, the Richard Wagner Foundation, and the President of Ukraine Scholarship for young artists.  

Since 2022, Oleksandra is a student at the International Opera Academy in Gent.  

Born in 1995, Quentin Mourier has been playing the piano since the age of twelve. He first studied at the conservatory of Romans-sur-Isère (France), then joined the piano class of Mikaïl Faerman at the royal conservatory of Brussels. At the same time, he studied orchestra conducting with Daniel Gazon; he graduated in both disciplines in 2017. He followed masterclasses with pianists André Gorog, Anne Queffélec, and conductors Konrad Von Abel, Jörg Birhance, and Jordi Mora. 

Quentin performed as a soloist and accompanist in festivals in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Armenia. Together with Belgian pianist Michel De Bock, he created the concert cycle Les Concertations, performing and accompanying more than thirty piano concertos over a period of two years. He coached several opera productions, including a short version of Faust, Carmen and the premiere of Steels’ Fausto at la Monnaie. As a conductor, Quentin premiered Tsilogiannis’ Verlaine au secret with the ensemble Musiques Nouvelles. 

Since 2021, Quentin is a student at the International Opera Academy.

SoJin Yang graduated from Kyunghee University College of Music in Seoul with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music under baritone Carlo Kang. 

After being selected at an audition at the Korean Army Headquarters, he toured the country for two years as an artist soldier. He participated in the Virginia (US) International Tattoo (Military Percussion) as a soloist for the Korean national team. 

He won the first place at the overall senior audition at Kyunghee University College of Music, and in 2020, he was selected as the 84th Korean Rookie of the Year. 

SoJin is an experienced choir member and soloist, performing both during and after his studies. He founded the Student Opera and performed as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore.  

Upon graduating, SoJin immediately chose to study abroad to develop his skills as an opera actor. He currently pursues a specialized course at the International Opera Academy. 

SoJin has taken part in several masterclasses held by renowned opera singers and coaches from all around the world (Carlo Kang, A-Kyeong Lee, Liu Song-Hu, Wim Henderickx, Muriel Corradini, Charlotte Margiono, Dietrich Henschel, Hein Boterberg, and Martin Wölfel). 

At the IOA he has performed Masetto (Don Giovanni, 2022), Bass soloist (Bach Cantata BWV 102, 2022), Bertolt Brecht (LoveMusik by Weill, 2022). In 2022 he was a part of the productions Bad Composer and Doem & Verlossing at the IOA. 

He has worked with conductors including Benjamin Haemhouts, Pietro Rizzo and directors such as Guy Joosten, Stefaan Degand, Peter Konwitschny, and Fanny Gilbert-Collet. 

Since joining the IOA, SoJin has been active as a solo performer, including at a concert in Ghent hosted by soprano Erika Pauwels and at the concert Le plaisir du language, hosted by King Sejong Institute in Brussels. 

SoJin has made his debut as Masetto (Don Giovanni, Mozart) at the Ópera de Oviedo in 2022.

Originally from Shenzhen, China, Xuan He is an up-and-coming and versatile classical pianist. As an active concert soloist and chamber musician, Xuan has performed in Austria, Canada, China, France, and toured nine states in the U.S. She is a medalist of the 2017 Brevard Music Festival Solo Piano Competition, the 2016 Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition, and the 2016 Schubert Club Scholarship Competition.   

Xuan has participated and performed in major international summer institutes and music festivals including the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival in Florida, the MusicAlp in Tigne France, and the ISA Music Festival by the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien in Austria. She has had the privilege to work with renowned pianists and pedagogues including Klaus Hellwig, Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Rebecca Penneys, Marietta Orlov, and Enrico Elisi.  

In the seasons ‘20-’21 and ‘21-’22, Xuan successfully gave lecture recitals on the Russian piano music of the 20th century in major cities in China, and was invited by the Russian Culture Center in Beijing to perform. She was also invited to give a series of lectures on 20th-century classical music in Shenzhen Library and to perform with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra as an orchestral pianist.  

In addition, Xuan has extensive teaching experience as piano coach and collaborative pianist, including work as a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto. She now maintains a piano studio of both amateur and professional students, whose age ranges from 6 to 40 years old. Her students have been accepted into piano performance programmes of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the University of York, the University of Liverpool in the UK, and the Western Ontario University in Canada.  

Xuan holds a bachelor of music degree from St. Olaf College, Minnesota, where she studied with Dr. Kent McWilliams and a master of music degree from the University of Toronto, where she studied under the tutelage of Professor Lydia Wong. She also completed a semester abroad in Vienna with Mr. Jan Jiracek von Arnim from the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien.  

Since November 2022, Xuan studies at the International Opera Academy in Ghent, Belgium. 

Mezzo-soprano Yoonjung Kim was born in south Korea in 1995. She graduated from Kyunghee University in Seoul, South Korea. She continued her studies for a Masters’ degree under baritone Carlo Kang and mezzo-soprano Akyung Lee (also at Kyunghee University).  

In South Korea, Yoonjung performed Flora in La Traviata (2018), Zita in Gianni Schicchi (2018) and the Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica (2018). She held her debut concert at Sejong Art Center, hosted by Music Chunchu daily (2018).  

Yoonjung has taken part in several masterclasses held by renowned opera singers and coaches from all around the world (Carlo Kang, A-Kyeong, Hellen Kwon, Nicolas Muni, Wim Henderickx, Charlotte Margiono, Dietrich Henschel, Hein Boterberg, Martin Wölfel).  

She has worked with conductors including Benjamin Haemhouts, Pietro Rizzo and directors such as Guy Joosten, Stefaan Degand, Peter Konwitschny and Fanny Gilbert-Collet. 

Since 2021, Yoonjung studies at the International Opera Academy in Ghent, Belgium.