Soprano Sumi Jo: "Well done, Sumi Jo, my musical life is still continuum"

Input: 2026-05-11 10:39:23

Updated: 2026-05-11 10:39:23

Soprano Sumi Jo poses at a press conference held at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 6th to mark the 40th anniversary of her world stage debut.

News1 Soprano Sumi Jo poses at a press conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of her world stage debut, held at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. Yonhap News Soprano Sumi Jo and Lee Sung-soo, CAO of SM Entertainment, pose for a commemorative photo at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 6th to mark the signing of an exclusive recording contract with SM Classics.

Yonhap News [Financial News] "Well Done, Sumi Jo" Sumi Jo still vividly remembers the day in 1983 when, at the age of twenty, she headed to Italy driven solely by her passion for music. Those were lonely and intense times when she had to endure relying only on music amidst unfamiliar languages and cultures.

And three years later, in 1986, she took the stage as the lead in the opera 'Rigoletto' at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Italy. It was a path that no Asian vocalist had yet taken.

Soprano Sumi Jo has released her 40th anniversary debut album, 'Continuum. ' At a press conference held on the 6th at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, she reflected on her 40-year musical career and shared her vision for the future.

When asked what she would most like to say to herself 40 years ago after her debut performance, Sumi Jo chose, "You are well-behaved, I am proud of you. " ■ The Musical Life Continues, 'Continuum' The title of the new album, which is the core of the 40th anniversary project, is 'Continuum,' which means 'to continue' in Latin.

It is the first album released under SM Entertainment's classical and jazz label, 'SM Classics. ' Sumi Jo emphasized that art is still a work in progress and explained that she has unfolded the trajectory of her personal life through a new musical language.In this album, she demonstrated her enduring prowess by placing Reinhold Glière's "Concerto for Coloratura Soprano," known for being difficult to sing, as the first track. Additionally, by selecting the Korean art song "How Beautiful" as the album's title track, she revealed her love for her homeland and her willingness to collaborate with contemporary composers.The album contains a total of 11 songs, the majority of which are original compositions created in collaboration with renowned domestic and international composers such as Irumi and Danny Koo. She sang "Romance" together with EXO's Suho.

Following the successful performances at Cadogan Hall in London, UK, and Carnegie Hall in New York last March, her 40th anniversary concert tour continues across 20 cities nationwide, starting in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 9th. The reason she chose Changwon as her first performance venue is that it is the hometown of her late parents.

On this day, Jo Sumi stated that her late parents were her life mentors. She revealed, "My mother was someone who wanted to fulfill her own unachieved dream of becoming a vocalist through her daughter," adding, "I exist today thanks to my mother's passion and persistence.

" The anecdote of her mother making her four or five-year-old daughter practice the piano for eight hours a day is already famous in the music world. Her father's passion was also no less than her mother's.

She shared, "When I was 17, my father went to the Royal Opera House in England without a plan and requested a meeting with the director. Eventually, the meeting was arranged, and he asked how his daughter could stand on that stage.

The director was reportedly moved by my father's passion and offered various pieces of advice. " Sumi Jo recalled her parents' devoted love, saying, "I actually stood on that stage before I turned thirty.It was possible because I was born to such parents. " ■ Fostering Talent through a Competition Named After Sumi Jo Sumi Jo is also stepping up her role as a mentor.The '2nd Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition,' to be held in France this coming July, has garnered attention as over 500 applicants from 55 countries around the world flocked to participate. He plans to ensure the competition does not stop at a one-off awards ceremony, but rather provides continuous opportunities, such as personally performing on stage with the winners, so that they can be active on the world stage.

Sumi Jo stated, "My goal is to cultivate artists who serve as 'peace messengers,' possessing not only national pride and skill but also excellent character. " She also plans to take the lead in popularizing classical music as a cultural ambassador.

She said, "I want to consistently create stages like 'Park Concerts' or 'Happiness for 1,000 Won' where families, couples, and friends can visit and enjoy without any burden," adding that this is "the value I consider most important throughout my 40-year career. " On this day, Sumi Jo recalled the decisive moments that changed her career, revealing that she has always strived for excellence as a vocalist.

She confessed, "It was only after experiencing a 'second place without a first place winner' during the days when I was sweeping competitions that I realized the importance of music that satisfies me personally, rather than the gaze of others. " She also recalled the time when she studied intensely, keenly realizing that understanding the culture embedded in a language is the essence, rather than perfect pronunciation.

He also recalled memories of his collaboration with a North Korean vocalist. Witnessing the reality of censorship where one could not even freely choose a single encore piece, he emphasized, "I solidified my conviction that the most precious value for humans and artists is 'freedom.

'" Currently serving as a visiting professor at KAIST, he showed an open attitude toward the combination of science and technology with art, such as collaborations with artificial intelligence (AI) and hologram performances. He revealed a spirit of challenge, stating, "While I must guard against compromising my artistic integrity, this is a process of finding a way to introduce classical music to more people through technology.

" He continued, "I will continue to live as a vocalist who explores profound music, a mentor who illuminates the path for younger generations, and a messenger who gifts classical music to the public," expressing his aspiration to "continue endless challenges rather than settling for a familiar path. " With the 40th anniversary of his debut, another chapter has begun.

Just as her mother wished, she was shining beyond her personal life as a lover to all and a mentor to her juniors, an artist who joyfully savored the calling given to her. Soprano Sumi Jo has released her 40th anniversary debut album, 'Continuum'.

Courtesy of Kim Young-jun.

jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter

· This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.

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