Théâtre du Capitole of Toulouse Cancels Final ‘Ernani’ After Arrest of Star Tenor

By David Salazar

The final performance of the Théâtre du Capitole’s “Ernani” was canceled after tenor Alfred Kim was arrested for beating a young woman in his apartment.

According to a report from La Depeche, the tenor had a lot to drink in the company of a young woman at a restaurant. Upon returning to his hotel, things got violent to the point that the tenor was banging the woman’s head on the toilet bowl. The report adds that his force was so strong that he could have broken her skull if not for the intervention of neighbors.

Questioned about his behavior, Kim responded by stating that “I am not in the habit of drinking. The behavior I exhibited is not who I really am.”

After much deliberation, the 43-year-old tenor was fined 8,000 euros and sentenced to eight months in prison. According to Le Parisien, the tenor flew out of France after the sentence as he is expected to sing the role of Radamès in Verdi’s “Aida” in Brussels and will also appear as Calaf in “Turandot” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Kim had earned solid reviews for his work in “Ernani,” Opera News stating  “Korean tenor Alfred Kim had all the necessary sinewy power and the stalwart upper register required for the aristocrat–turned–bandit Ernani.” He managed to sing five performances alongside a cast that included Vitaliy Bilyy, Michele Pertusi, and Tamara Wilson.

In the opera, Kim played a bandit that ultimately manages to marry the love of his life after much struggle. However, because of some poor judgment and a hastily made decision, he is forced to commit suicide and lose all of the potential happiness he could have had besides his new bride.

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