South Korea's Hye Jung Lee.
First up was Hye Jung Lee, the competitor from South Korea. Her voice is as crystal-bright as the sequins on her midnight blue dress. It made the two Richard Strauss songs shimmer with youth. It was also ideal for the song from Walton's Façade - those clipped vowels need a cut-glass voice! But it was delicious in the Purcell song, written when seduction did not require plump, lush sounds. Hye Jung Lee is clearly a singer who understands her own abilities and strengths.
Photo: Brian Tarr. Text: Maggi Willis
