Who is Sarah Park, the singer seen on the poster? Following her Denver King Center concert, another LA Korean Festival performance is planned
By Susan Lee | Colorado Times
Sarah Park, known in Korea’s crossover world for her “goddess-level beauty,” held a concert at Denver’s King Center. She performs in Korea under the name Siyeon Park.
Park, who is active as a crossover vocalist, performed a 13-song repertoire featuring internationally familiar selections including “Moon River,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Never Enough” and “Time to Say Goodbye.”
The entire program, including her remarks between songs, was conducted in English.
The concert featured a piano trio consisting of pianist Sohee Yoo, violinist Yerim Kim, and cellist Alexander Harrison, who performed classical crossover arrangements of contemporary pop songs including Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”
During “Colors of the Wind,” best known as the theme song from Disney’s animated film Pocahontas, Park shared a childhood memory of watching Pocahontas and being moved by the character’s willingness to confidently express her message even when facing the unfamiliar circumstances of encountering a new civilization. Park reflected the strength shown by Pocahontas through her eyes and facial expressions while displaying her solid vocal ability.
Park introduced why each song held personal meaning for her and said, “Performing in front of American audiences is very special to me.” She said that after ending her activities in Korea several years ago and moving to the United States, music became a source of encouragement and healing as she adjusted to her new life and prepared to resume her career in earnest. She also expressed her hope that the concert would give audience members a warm opportunity to step away from the complexities of everyday life and take a moment to rest.
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Crossover singer Sarah Park studied vocal music at Dongduk Women’s University before receiving vocal training from Metropolitan Opera tenor Francisco Casanova and bass Valentin Peytchinov in New York.
After releasing the single “In Bloom,” Park emerged as a next-generation crossover artist and was praised by several media outlets for her “goddess-level beauty.” She also appeared on SBS’s Star King in the “Truth Game: Chunhyang Show” segment, where she performed a couple dance with Wooyoung, a member of the K-pop group 2PM, and rose on real-time search rankings. (Video source: SBS; Video link: see the Colorado Times digital article)
Park performed on the stages of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater and KBS Hall and visited Dokdo, Korea’s easternmost island, as a promotional ambassador. She sang “Beautiful Country” at the Peaceful Unification Festival. She was a member of the Kim Ja-kyung Opera Company and played the lead role in the large-scale musical drama Song of the Sea, which portrayed the stories of female Korean independence activists and was performed in collaboration with the Changwon City Choir and orchestra. She also appeared in numerous operas, including Hansel and Gretel and The Marriage of Figaro. She also served as a promotional ambassador for Asia News TV.
At a time when her career as a crossover singer was flourishing, Park married her husband, an American businessman, and moved to the United States.
Although she briefly took a break while settling in the United States, she has continued her artistic work while living in Denver and raising the two children she has given birth to. In Denver, she met audiences through two solo concerts: Family Music Concert with Stories–Music Concert in Colorado in 2022, and Spring, Longing, and Flowers in 2024.
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“It felt overwhelming to pursue my career in this unfamiliar country,” Park said. “There were times when I was overcome with anxiety that I might end up retiring.”
Park accepted the reality that she would have to return to the beginning and rebuild her career in the United States, and she began seeking out performance opportunities herself.
“In Korea, I had a steady stream of performances, but in the United States, I got the impression that unless you were already a well-known singer, there were no stages to perform on,” she said. “I had to go out and find those stages myself.”
While organizing and holding two solo concerts of her own, Park also entertained seniors with trot crossover performances at Hans Adult Daycare and sang worship songs at a local Korean church. Drawing on her producing experience, she also formed a worship team and visited local churches.
Several years passed as Park continued knocking on doors and accepting invitations to small performances and events. Park eventually earned the opportunity to perform at the LA Korean Festival, the largest Korean event in Los Angeles. She took the stage with powerful performances of the Korean national anthem and “Beautiful Country.” She performed at the festival two years ago and is scheduled to return this year.
Park did not forget to express her gratitude to Colorado Korean residents and fans who have consistently attended her concerts.
“Until now, I conducted my concerts in Korean just as I did when performing in Korea and focused mainly on songs familiar to Korean audiences,” she said. “Because members of the Korean community supported me so warmly and filled the seats at my performances, I was finally able to plan a concert at the King Center.”
At this concert as well, many Korean residents who support Park, along with American audiences, gathered and exchanged warm greetings with one another.
Reaching Local Audiences With a Wider Range of Vocal Styles, From Pop to Cinematic Music
“The fear that crossover music combined with classical music might not be welcomed in Colorado became an inner barrier for me,” Park said candidly.
“Each state in the United States has its own characteristics when it comes to popular music genres,” she said. “In Colorado, live band music, country, rock and blues are popular. It is also home to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the United States.”
Park said she plans to expand beyond crossover music into cinematic and pop genres and has been steadily training in new vocal techniques preferred by local American audiences so that she can move freely across different genres.
In addition to her work as a singer, Park is experienced in concert planning and runs the Colorado Culture Group, which shares information about books, performances and exhibitions in Colorado and provides members of the Korean community with opportunities to experience a variety of local arts and cultural events. She also works as a vocal trainer and instructor affiliated with a local Colorado studio. At her private studio, she records songs she has worked on herself and posts them as Instagram Reels, continuing to communicate with her fans.
Park is currently active in the United States as a classical crossover singer, vocal trainer, event MC and music producer. (Performance inquiries: 720-767-8404, Instagram @sarahparklive)
