Phillip Jeong

Phillip Jeong (Korean: 정필립; born August 9, 1989) is a South Korean tenor, crossover artist, and musical theatre actor.

Early life and education
Phillip Jeong attended Peniel Arts High School to pursue his goal of becoming a classical tenor. During his high school years he went to Italy to study abroad, completing courses at Accademia Arena and Accademia Di Roma under Claudio Di Segni. He then returned to Korea to study under Professor WoongGyun Lim at the Department of Vocal Music, School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts.

Facing a lack of opportunities as a tenor in South Korea, Jeong moved to Italy, hoping for better prospects. However, he encountered limited chances to perform or participate in competitions and eventually returned to South Korea. Subsequently, he became a non-regular member of the Busan Metropolitan Chorus.

Phantom Singer
In 2017, Jeong took part in the JTBC audition program Phantom Singer 2, which aimed to form a male crossover quartet. He made it to the finals with the crossover team Miraclass, consisting of Julian Jootaek Kim, Kang-hyun Park, and Tain Han, and finished as the runner-up.

Key performances in Phantom Singer 2
Jeong's first audition song for season 2 of Phantom Singer was "Mattinata." His duo performance of "Parla più piano (Love Theme from The Godfather)" received harsh criticism, while his trio mission performance of "Look Inside" (a song by Mark Vincent) received praise for his captivating voice. The quartet he belonged to in the semi-final round achieved the highest score with their performance of "La Vita." In the final rounds, the judges formed three quartet teams: Forestella, Miraclass, and Edel Reinklang.

Development and praise
Early in the competition, Jeong was critiqued for his rigid sense of rhythm. However, as the competition progressed, he developed a more flexible phrasing and rhythm. His voice earned him praise from judge Yoon Sang, who not only complimented his growth but also stated that Jeong had become one of his favorite voices.

Miraclass
The crossover group Miraclass consists of Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, Kang-hyun Park, and Tain Han. Before the final rounds of Phantom Singer 2, they had to come up with a team name within a time constraint. Jeong coined the name "Miraclass" by combining "miracle" and "class". After the conclusion of Phantom Singer, Miraclass secured a fan base and has been actively performing in concerts related to Phantom Singer as well as holding their own team concerts. They also appear on broadcasts and release albums.

During the period when offline concerts were halted due to COVID-19, the JTBC program Phantom Singer All Stars was aired in 2021. Miraclass excelled in this show, securing numerous wins,   including one MVP award, in the competitions among the nine participating groups. In the program, Jeong performed not only with the Miraclass members but also with Se-kwon Ahn, Dong Hyun Kim, Hyung Ho Kang (PITTA), Bae Doo Hoon, and Minseok Kim.

Feel in
Feel in is a duo formed by Phillip Jeong and Tain Han in 2019, promoting easy listening music. Tain Han is a classically trained singer with a diverse spectrum of music, including rock, jazz, and pop. The duo, consisting of a tenor and a bass vocalist, performs a variety of songs across different genres, including Korean pop songs, old pop, chansons, jazz, canzone, musical numbers, and country music.

Performances

Their first performance was an in-flight concert on an Asiana Airlines' inaugural flight from Incheon to Venice. They have concerts,  appeared on TV and radios in Korea,   and twice in Hong Kong  and are scheduled to have their third performance in Hong Kong in September 2024.

Stage musicals and opera collage
"The Taming of Casanova," an opera collage featuring famous arias from various operas, was created to modernize opera and attract a larger audience in Korea. Jeong participated in this project to draw more people to the classical music genre. In Korea, where opera staging is limited due to a lack of public interest, only 56 performances were held in 2023. Additionally, Jeong made his debut as a musical actor in "Jack the Ripper: The Musical," playing the role of Detective Anderson.

Concerts
Jeong began participating in concerts as a performer or guest, starting with the outdoor concert of the Changwon City Dance Company at the 2015 Midsummer Night's Outdoor Concert. In 2015, he also collaborated in the solo recital of French soprano Isabelle Vernet. After appearing in Phantom Singer 2 in 2017 and finishing as the runner-up with the Miraclass team, he started his active career as a classical and crossover vocalist, both as part of the crossover group and individually.

Korea, with its highly concentrated metropolitan areas and declining populations in other regions, introduced the '방방곡곡 문화공감,' which translated to 'Cultural Empathy in Every Corner of Korea,' through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Culture and Arts Centers Association to promote cultural empathy. This initiative aimed to bring diverse cultural performances to smaller cities and rural areas, including at least 30% of underprivileged individuals in the audience. Jeong, Miraclass teammate Baritone Julian Jootaek Kim, and the BeHa Philharmonic Orchestra participated in this program. Traveling to 9 cities in 2022 and 2023, they showcased opera arias, Korean lyric songs, Spanish and Italian melodies, and musical numbers.

Jeong has primarily been active with teams like Miraclass and Feel in. In June 2023, he held his first solo recital under his name, performing various pieces including "Mattinata," which he first introduced to the public, as well as arias by Tosti and Bellini, alongside pop and Korean lyrical songs. Accompanied by pianist Terry Jun-min Kang, the performance featured only the piano melodies and Jeong's voice without the aid of a microphone.

In a statement, Jeong said, "I aimed to deliver vivid emotions to the audience using just the piano and my vocal strength, without any amplification. I look forward to presenting even larger and more refined performances for my fans in the future." He has expressed his ongoing dedication to his vocal studies, and in November of the same year, he released the album Esòrdio and held his second solo recital, continuing his active career. The following is a curated selection of his concerts.

TV and media
Jeong often sings solo or with fellow vocalists on Open Concert,  a KBS program. When he was a freshman at K-ARTS, a scene of him singing was aired on Documentary Three Days, where a professor who listened to his song praised him, saying he "sparkles." Additionally, when he appeared on KBS's Immortal Songs with the Miraclass team, his unexpected sense of humor was showcased, leading KBS to create separate YouTube videos featuring his backstage moments. He has also performed on major network shows such as Art Stage on MBC as well as on Christian networks. Jeong also appears on radio programs.

Discography
Since his first recording in a participation release, Jeong has released 6 albums, including 3 from Universal Music (Decca Records) as a solo artist and as a member of the duo Feel in.


 * Album (as Feel in)


 * Extended Release


 * Participation releases


 * Single (as Feel in)