Yoontaek Rhim was born in South Korea. He studied singing with Professor Yoo-Sang Chang at Dankook University in Seoul. Since 2008 he has been a student at the Hochschule fЁ№r Musik in WЁ№rzburg with Professor Cheryl Studer. The singerЎЇs repertoire includes the title role in MozartЎЇs Don Giovanni, the role of Nick Shadow in StravinskyЎЇs The RakeЎЇs Progress and the Music Teacher in StraussЎЇ Ariadne auf Naxos. He has also appeared in performances of MozartЎЇs Le nozze di Figaro and VerdiЎЇs La traviata and was invited to perform the role of Zuniga in BizetЎЇs Carmen at the Gendarmenmarkt Classic Open Air festival in Berlin.

In November 2009 Yoontaek Rhim appeared at the Wagner Gala Concert at the Theater Trier. In July 2010 he made a memorable appearance in the title role in RossiniЎЇs Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Mozartsommer in Mainfranken festival. He has also performed in oratorios and masses by Handel, Mendelssohn, Rossini and Spohr, while in November 2010 he sang the bass role in PendereckiЎЇs oratorio Seven Gates of Jerusalem, conducted by the composer in WЁ№rzburg and in Rzesz§еw (Poland).

In 2009 Yoontaek Rhim won the Special Prize (the Dorothea Glatt Award) at the VI International VocalistsЎЇ Competition Wagnerian Voices 2009. In 2010 he received a scholarship from the Richard Wagner Foundation and was a prize-winner at the XIX International Vocal Competition of Chamber Opera at Schloss Rheinsberg. In March&bnsp;2011 he was awarded second prize at the Maria Callas Grand Prix Competition in Greece.