Just before the New Year holiday, Korean tenor was on a plane from China to Phoenix, routing through LAX, when his phone rang.
It was Peter Gelb, general manager of New York .
The principal tenor singing the role of Radamés in the Met’s new staging of Verdi’s “Aida” was fighting a virus. Could Baek come in and cover?
It had been awhile since Baek had sung the role; he was nowhere near ready. But this was the Met, America’s most prestigious opera house where he had made his debut in 2023.
Korean tenor SeokJong Baek was a last-minute replacement for the role of Radamès in the Metropolitan Opera’s new staging of Verdi’s “Aida” in early January. Soprano Angel Blue sang the titular role.
Despite his insecurities, “I took the risk,” he said. Baek got on a plane that night and headed to New York City. But on opening night on New Year’s Eve, the tenor decided to go on.
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“Peter told me he was sorry,” Baek recalled during a phone call from a rehearsal break in Phoenix last Friday.
Instead of the Met, Baek returned to Plan A, his role debut as Roldolfo in Arizona Opera’s “La Bohéme.”
“I came back to Arizona and started to have my first rehearsals in Arizona,” said Baek, one of five in the production. “And after two days, I got another call from Peter.”
Beczala coughed his way through opening night and the Met needed a replacement for the next two performances to give the Polish tenor time to recuperate.
Tenor SeokJong Baek, who makes his “La Bohéme” role debut as Rodolfo with Arizona Opera, was a last-minute fill-in for an ailing tenor in Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “Aida” in early January.
Arizona Opera Executive Director Joseph Specter happily agreed to release Baek from those early January rehearsals; “,” part of the 2025 song festival, wasn’t set to open for weeks in Phoenix before coming to Tucson on Saturday, Feb. 1.
“And then I flew to New York again, and I arrived at 2 a.m. in the morning,” he said, adding that he grabbed a few hours of sleep before going to the theater for a run-through rehearsal.
He sang on the Met stage that night, Jan. 4, opposite Desert Song Festival alum soprano Angel Blue. Baek also performed the role on Jan. 7.
“It was like one of the (biggest) challenges of my career, but I’m so glad that I made it,” he said. “And then the audience went wild. They did. They loved it so much.”
Baek returns to the role of Radamés in May with .
Arizona Opera is eliminating its Friday and Sunday performances in Tucson next season, offering a single performance on Saturday afternoons. Video by Cathy Burch / ӰAV
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
