How Klaus Florian Vogt Spends His Weekend

The heldentenor with Annette Dasch
in the Bayreuth Lohengrin.

"Klaus Florian Vogt is everything a heroic tenor should be: tall, handsome, romantic and in possession of the kind of voice that wins him standing ovations at opera houses from the Met in New York to the hallowed halls of Bayreuth, Germany, where he is currently appearing in Lohengrin. Mr. Vogt takes up the role of the Knight of the Swan for the duration of the opera festival, which ends August 28. When the singer isn't performing, he spends his free time flying a single-engine plane, surfing, riding horses and playing football with his sons and his neighborhood friends. Above all, he says, he's a family man and looks forward to just being home."

The interview discusses how he spends his weekend and topics like hobbies, his wife (also a singer) coaching him, favorite restaurants and whether he sings in the shower at home. Read the full article here.

Hei-Kyung Hong Has Her Moment in the Sun

The soprano has sung nearly 360 performances at the MET and covered countless other evenings
(Photo: Natalie Kessyar/Wall Street Journal)

A native of Seoul, South Korea, the soprano starting studying at the Juilliard School of Music at age 15. Now a highly successful opera singer of 51, she makes her home in Bayside, New York, with her husband. They have three children: two daughters, 30 and 31, and one son that is now 17. Read the Wall Street Journal article about her decisions to make the Metropolitan Opera the central focus of her career, even if that meant not being front-and-center of fame. She also discusses what helped her find the focus that created the longevity in her singing and why the voice maintains a wonderful gleam. You'll also find out if she is really kissing her Roméo et Juliette co-star Piotr Beczala during the performance! [Source]