Sumi Jo,

OSI OSI may refer to: Places * Osijek Airport (IATA code: OSI), an airport in Croatia * Ősi, a village in Veszprém county, Hungary * Oši, an archaeological site in Semigallia, Latvia * Osi, a village in Ido-Osi, Ekiti State, Nigeria * Osi, Ekiti ...

(; ; born 22 November 1962) is a South Korean

lyric coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...

known for her Grammy award-winning interpretations of the

bel canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

repertoire.Wolf Artists: Sumi Jo
/ref>

Life and career

Early life and education

Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong in

Changwon Changwon () is the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do, on the southeast coast of South Korea. With a population of 1.07 million , Changwon is South Korea's ninth-most populous city. A port city, Changwon is bordered by Masan Bay to the south ...

, South Korea. Her mother was an amateur singer and pianist who had been unable to pursue her own professional music studies because of politics in Korea during the 1950s. Determined to provide her daughter with opportunities she never had, Jo's mother enrolled her in piano lessons at the age of 4 and later voice lessons at the age of 6. Although Jo's family lived in a rented property, her parents bought a piano for her to play. Her mother raised and trained Jo strictly. Jo recalled even when her mother went out, she locked the door outside so that Jo couldn't play truant. As a child, Jo would often spend up to eight hours a day studying music.Sumi Jo: Devoted to Music
/ref> In 1976, Jo entered the Sun Hwa Arts School from which she graduated in 1980, receiving dual diplomas in voice and piano. She entered the department of vocal music at the

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

(SNU) with the best practical score since the department had opened. There she continued her music studies from 1981 to 1983. While studying at SNU, Jo made her professional recital debut, appeared in several concerts with the

Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

, and made her professional operatic debut as Susanna in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...

'' with Seoul Opera. In 1983, Jo left SNU in order to study at the

Conservatorio Santa Cecilia The Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia is a state conservatory in Rome. History The institution has its roots dated back to the Congregazione de' musici di Roma named after Saint Cecilia in 1565 (now Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia). Sinc ...

in Rome. Among her teachers were

Carlo Bergonzi Carlo Bergonzi may refer to: * Carlo Bergonzi (luthier) (1683–1747), Italian luthier * Carlo Bergonzi (tenor) Carlo Bergonzi (13 July 1924 – 25 July 2014) was an Italian operatic tenor. Although he performed and recorded some bel canto and ...

and Giannella Borelli. While Jo studied in Italy, she was frequently heard in concert in Italian cities and on national radio broadcasts and telecasts. It was during this time when Jo began to use "Sumi" as her stage name in order to make her name more friendly to European language speakers who often found it difficult to pronounce Su-gyeong. She graduated in 1985 with majors in keyboard and voice. Following graduation, Jo began to study with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and won several international competitions in Seoul, Naples, Enna, Barcelona, and Pretoria. In August 1986, she was unanimously awarded first prize in the Carlo Alberto Cappelli International Competition in Verona, one of the world's most important contests, open only to first-prize winners of other major competitions.

Career

In 1986, Jo made her European operatic debut as Gilda in Verdi's '' Rigoletto'' at the

Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi The Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi is an opera house located in Trieste, Italy and named after the composer Giuseppe Verdi. Privately constructed, it was inaugurated as the Teatro Nuovo to replace the smaller 800-seat "Cesareo Regio Teatro di San Pie ...

in Trieste. This performance drew the attention of Herbert von Karajan, who proceeded to cast her as Oscar in '' Un ballo in maschera'' opposite Plácido Domingo for the 1989 Salzburg Festival.LA Phil Presents , About the Performer – Sumi Jo
/ref> Karajan's death during festival rehearsals prevented Jo from actually singing on stage under his baton (

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

conducted the performances) but she did sing under Karajan in the studio recording of ''Ballo'', made in the early months of 1989 for Deutsche Grammophon. In 1988, Jo made her

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

debut as Thetis in Jommelli's '' Fetonte''. That same year she made her debut with the Bavarian State Opera and sang Barbarina in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' at the Salzburg Festival. In 1989, Jo made her debut with the Vienna State Opera and returned to the Salzburg Festival to sing Oscar in Verdi's '' Un ballo in maschera''. That same year, she made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera, once again portraying Gilda in ''Rigoletto''. Jo would later reprise this role numerous times with the Met over the next fifteen years.Metropolitan Opera Association
In 1990, Jo made her debut with the

Chicago Lyric Opera Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria C ...

as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's '' The Magic Flute''. The following year, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for another performance as Oscar in ''Un ballo in maschera'' and made her Royal Opera, Covent Garden, debut as Olympia in '' The Tales of Hoffmann''. She returned to Covent Garden the next year to sing Adina in ''

L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (''The Elixir of Love'', ) is a ' (opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's ' (1831). The opera premiere ...

'' and Elvira in '' I puritani''. In 1993, Jo appeared in the title role of Donizetti's '' Lucia di Lammermoor'' with the Metropolitan Opera and sang the role of the Queen of the Night at the Salzburg Festival and Covent Garden. The following year she made her debut with

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. Leadersh ...

as Sophie in Strauss' '' Der Rosenkavalier''. In 1995 she sang the role of Countess Adèle in '' Le comte Ory'' at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Over the next decade Jo maintained a busy schedule, singing Lucia in Strasbourg, Barcelona, Berlin, and Paris; '' La sonnambula'' in Brussels and Santiago, Chile; ''

I Capuleti e i Montecchi ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'' (''The Capulets and the Montagues'') is an Italian opera (''Tragedia lirica'') in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini. The libretto by Felice Romani was a reworking of the story of ''Romeo and Juliet'' for an opera by Nicol ...

'' with

Minnesota Opera Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded as the Center Opera Company in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as ''Where the Wild Things Are'' by Oliver ...

; Olympia and Rosina in New York; the Queen of the Night in Los Angeles; Gilda in Bilbao, Oviedo, Bologna, Trieste, and Detroit among others; ''

Il turco in Italia ''Il turco in Italia'' (English: ''The Turk in Italy'') is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The Italian-language libretto was written by Felice Romani. It was a re-working of a libretto by Caterino Mazzolà set as an opera (w ...

'' in Spain; '' L'enfant et les sortilèges'' in Boston and Pittsburgh; ''Le comte Ory'' in Rome; and ''

Dinorah ''Dinorah'', originally ''Le pardon de Ploërmel'' (''The Pardon of Ploërmel''), is an 1859 French opéra comique in three acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. The story takes place near the rura ...

'' in New York. She also appeared in performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet,

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

Opéra National de Paris The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

Washington Opera The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performa ...

, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Australia, and the Teatro Colón. In addition, she appeared with numerous symphony orchestras in concert, including the

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...

,"Sumi Jo with the VSO!"
at LSM Newswire (4 January 2008) the

Cincinnati Pops The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...

, the

Orchestra of St. Luke's The Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) is an American chamber orchestra based in New York City, formed in 1974. Orchestra of St. Luke’s presents over 70 concerts, programs, and events in a variety of diverse musical genres every season, including an ...

, the Vienna Philharmonic, the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

, the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...

, and the

Hollywood Bowl Orchestra The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (HBO) is a symphony orchestra which is managed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and plays the vast majority of its performances at the Hollywood Bowl. John Mauceri led the orchestra from its founding in 1990 ...

among others. Her work led her to sing under such conductors as Sir

, Zubin Mehta,

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...

, James Levine, Kent Nagano, and

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

. She also gave recitals throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. In 2002, Jo sang the theme song for the

's broadcast of the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

, "The Champions". In 2007, Jo performed her first Violetta in ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' with the Toulon Opera and in the 2008/2009 season she was scheduled to perform the role of Zerline in '' Fra Diavolo'' at the Opera Comique and Opéra Royal de Wallonie. In 2008, Jo participated in the Beijing Olympics with Renée Fleming and Angela Gheorghiu. In 2011 Jo provided the singing voice of Veda Pierce in the HBO miniseries ''

Mildred Pierce ''Mildred Pierce'' is a psychological drama by James M. Cain published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1941. A story of “social inequity and opportunity in America" set during the Great Depression, ''Mildred Pierce'' follows the trajectory of a lower- ...

''. On 9 March 2018, Jo performed a specially-recorded duet with fellow vocalist

Sohyang Kim So-hyang ( ko, 김소향, , born April 5, 1978), known mononymously as Sohyang, is a South Korean singer-songwriter who has been dubbed by the international media as the "Korean Mariah Carey". According to Sohyang, her goal is to use her voi ...

, the song "Here As One", during the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

2018 Winter Paralympic Games ) , nations = 49 , athletes = 569 , events = 80 in 6 sports , opening = 9 March , closing = 18 March , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Eun-jung Seo Soon-seok , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic ...

in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2021, Jo was appointed as the visiting distinguished professor at KAIST's Graduate School of Culture Technology.

Academy Award nomination and exclusion

Simple Song Number 3 "Simple Song #3" or "Simple Song Number 3" is an original song sung by South Korean singer Sumi Jo. The song was released as the lead single from the soundtrack album of 2015 film ''Youth'' written and composed by American composer David Lang. ...

", written by David Lang, performed by Jo, and featured in Paolo Sorrentino's 2015 film '' Youth'', was nominated for an Academy Award in 2016 in the Best Song category. Fellow nominees were "

Manta Ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...

", performed by Anohni; "

Til It Happens to You "Til It Happens to You" is a song produced and performed by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Diane Warren for the 2015 documentary film ''The Hunting Ground'', which deals with campus rape in the United States. The song had ...

", performed by Lady Gaga; " Earned It", performed by The Weeknd; and " Writing's on the Wall", performed by Sam Smith (who won the category's award). Although Jo was invited to the ceremony and attended, she was not invited to perform the song. Anohni, a transgender singer, was similarly excluded and subsequently boycotted the ceremony. The other nominees performed their songs during the ceremony. On the red carpet prior to the ceremonies, Jo and Lang voiced their disappointment with the producers' decision to exclude the song, indirectly referencing the controversy related to that year's Academy Awards and its lack of racial diversity.

Personal life

Jo is the cousin aunt of South Korean actor Yoo Gun, his father's cousin sister. Just before she performed '' Ave Maria'' at Chatelet, Paris, in 2006, Jo's father, Eonho Jo, died. When she learned that her father had died, she wanted to cancel the performance and return to South Korea for the funeral. Her mother reminded Jo of her promise to her audiences, and said that it was better if she went on with the show in honor of her father. Her performance was dedicated to her father and released as a DVD titled ''Sumi Jo in Paris – For my Father''. Jo is an advocate for animal rights and one of only five Asian celebrities to make People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia-Pacific's (PETA) first-ever Best-Dressed 2008 list. Jo's mother, Malsoon Kim died in 2021 after suffering from

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...

for 10 years in hospital. She was unable to attend to her mother's funeral in South Korea due to COVID-19 quarantine, while she was in Italy.

Legacy

Aria of Zerbinetta in '' Ariadne auf Naxos'', written by

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

in 1912, is a difficult piece over 20 minutes in length with numerous high notes. Therefore, Strauss modified part of the sheet music because he thought it was impossible to sing. In 1994, however, Jo became the world's first artist to record the unedited original version of the song. She recorded the song with a Japanese-American conductor, Kent Nagano, in Lyon, France. Jo said it was the hardest record to sing ever. In 1993, she became the first Asian soprano to win La Siola d'Oro. In addition, Jo won six international competitions for the first time as an Asian soprano, and was recorded as the first Asian prima donna who starred in the world's opera theaters.무릎팍' 소프라노 조수미, "잔인하다. 슬픔 이기고 노래한다는 건…"
마이데일리 2008년 12월 "Her voice is the best gift God has given," said Herbert von Karajan, who is considered as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, and praised her as "a voice from above". Karajan also admired, "I am surprised that you have learned in Korea, are there such excellent teachers in Korea? Korea is a great nation". The New York Metropolitan Theater Opera News praised "her song has already risen above the criticism". ''Le Monde'' of France praised her vocals by saying that "Even fairies listen to her songs".

Recordings

Jo has over 50 recordings to her credit, including ten solo albums for Erato Records, the French division of Warner Classics. These recordings include complete operas, oratorio, operetta, orchestral works and Broadway standards. Notable recordings include the voice of the falcon in Sir Georg Solti's Grammy Award winning recording of Strauss's '' Die Frau ohne Schatten'' for the Decca label and the role of Oscar the page in Herbert von Karajan's recording of Verdi's '' Un ballo in maschera'' for Deutsche Grammophon.

Recitals

Decca * ''Carnaval! French Coloratura Arias,'' Decca (November 15, 1994) ** Compilation – ''Best of Sumi Jo'', Decca (February 4, 2009) ** Compilation – ''Art of Sumi Jo'', Decca (August 11, 1998) Erato – Warner Classics * ''Bel Canto'', Arias from ''

Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first performed at La Fenice ...

, La sonnambula,

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

, I puritani,

, Linda di Chamounix, Tancredi,

Crispino e la comare ''Crispino e la comare o Il medico e la morte'' (''The Cobbler and the Fairy or The Doctor and Death'') is an opera written collaboratively by Luigi Ricci and Federico Ricci with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Performance history ...

''. English Chamber Orchestra, Giuliano Carella. Erato (16 September 1997) * ''Sumi Jo Sings Mozart'' (or ''Dear Amadeus''), Erato (1 October 1996) * ''Live at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

'',

, Erato * ''Baroque Journey'' – arias by Vivaldi, Purcell,

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra. Erato (November 13, 2007) * ''Virtuoso Arias'': from '' Il Barbiere di Siviglia'', '' La sonnambula'', '' Lakmé'', '' Rigoletto'', ''

'', '' Lucia di Lammermoor'', '' Ariadne auf Naxos'', ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'', Korean song "Boribat" (barley field 보리밭).

Monte Carlo Orchestra The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra (french: Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, OPMC) is the main orchestra in the Principality of Monaco. The orchestra gives concerts primarily in the Auditorium Rainier III, but also performs at the Salle ...

, . Erato (7 February 1995) * ''The Christmas Album'',

Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. ...

: ''Cantata pastorale per la nascita di Nostro Signore''.

Christoph Bernhard Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in War ...

: ''Fürchtet euch nicht!'' Mozart ''

Exsultate, jubilate ' (Exult, rejoice), K. 165, is a 1773 motet by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. History This religious solo motet was composed when Mozart was staying in Milan during the production of his opera '' Lucio Silla'' which was being performed there in the ...

'' K165. Cappella Coloniensis of the WDR on historical instruments. Erato (18 September 2001) * ''Prayers'', Erato (March 20, 2001) * ''Only Love'', musicals Miss Saigon etc. Erato (11 April 2000) *

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

''Echoes from Vienna'' Erato (9 November 1999) * ''Les Bijoux'' – French Arias, '' Roméo et Juliette'' "Je veux vivre", '' Faust'' (L'air des Bijoux) "Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir!", '' Mignon'' "Oui, pour ce soir, je suis reine des fées", ''

L'étoile du nord ' (''The North Star'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe. The work had its first performance at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, on 16 February 1854. Much of the material, ...

'' "C'est bien l'air que chaque matin", '' Hamlet'' "À vos jeux, mes amis", ''

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

'' "Depuis le jour", '' Mireille'' "O légère hirondelle", ''

Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work suc ...

'' "O beau pays de la Touraine", ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

'' "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", ''

Les pêcheurs de perles ' (''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in ...

'' "Me voilà seule", ''

Robinson Crusoé ''Robinson Crusoé '' is an opéra comique with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux. It premiered in Paris on 23 November 1867. The writers took the theme from the 1719 novel ''Robinson Crusoe'' b ...

'' "Conduisez-moi vers celui", ECO, Giuliano Carella, Erato (August 3, 1999) * ''La Promessa'' – Italian Songs, Erato (15 September 1998) ** ''Sumi Jo The Erato Recitals'' (10 CDs) Erato (31 January 2012) ** ''The Sumi Jo Collection'' Warner Bros UK (18 January 2010) ** ''Sumi Jo 101: Favorite Crossover and Classics'' (6CDs) Warner Music Korea (2007) ** With Love: Best 20 Songs of Sumi Jo (2 CDs) Warner Music Korea (2006) ** My Story (2 CDs) Erato/Warner Music Korea (2002) including a vocal version of "Love is just a Dream," from non-vocal version was in MBC drama "Hotelier" O.S.T. (2001). Universal Korea – Deutsche Grammophon Korea * ''Missing You'' – songs of the world – Universal Korea DG (10 August 2010) * ''Ich liebe Dich'' – German

lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...

er – Universal Korea DG (17 August 2010) * ''Libera'' – Universal Korea, DG (2011) ** single " Hijo de la Luna" (sung in Spanish but entitled "Son of the moon", 달의 아들) (2011, Universal Korea) * ''Sumi Jo with Tomomi Nishimoto in concert'' CD and DVD * ''La Luce'' – Sumi Jo sings Igor Krutoy with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian – Universal Korea (2012) * ''Only Bach'' – Cantatas for Soprano, Violin & Guitar – Universal Korea DG (2014) Korean local labels * ''Ari Arirang'' – Italian arias and Korean songs –

London Philharmonic The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

, Stephan von Cron (1995, worldwide release 1998, Samsung Music) * ''Saeya Saeya'' (새야 새야) Italian arias and Korean songs. The Korean Symphony,

Nanse Gum Gum Nanse, (born 25 September 1947) is a South Korea conductor. In 1977, he was the first Korean to win the prize at the Herbert von Karajan Conductors' Competition in Berlin. He is currently general director and artistic director of the Seongnam ...

(1994, Samsung Music) * Compilation ''Jo Sumi – Her first purely Korean folk album – Hyangsu'' (조수미 – 그녀의 첫번째 순수 한국가곡집 – 향수) 20 Korean tracks only, from two previous Korean albums. ��愁(2002, E&E Media)

Opera recordings

* Verdi: '' Un ballo in maschera'' with Plácido Domingo,

Jean-Luc Chaignaud Jean-Luc Chaignaud (born 3 August 1959) is a French soloist baritone, singer of operas, lieder and oratorio. Biography Born in Pantin, Chaignaud studied singing with Régine Crespin and Gabriel Bacquier at the Conservatoire de Paris, then enter ...

, Josephine Barstow, Florence Quivar. Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera Chorus. Herbert von Karajan. DGG 1989. * Adolphe Adam: '' Le toréador'', Richard Bonynge, Decca (17 March 1998) * Daniel Auber: ''

Le domino noir ''Le domino noir'' (''The Black Domino'') is an ''opéra comique'' by the French composer Daniel Auber, first performed on 2 December 1837 by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris.Wild and Charlton (2005), p. 226. The libre ...

''. Richard Bonynge (2 CDs) Decca (9 April 1996) * Königin der Nacht in '' Die Zauberflöte,''

. Decca (1990) * Königin der Nacht in ''Die Zauberflöte'', with Franz-Joseph Selig,

Gösta Winbergh Gösta Winbergh (30 December 1943 – 18 March 2002) was a Swedish tenor. Early life Winbergh was born in Stockholm. There was no musical tradition in Winbergh's family. He himself was a building engineer when he watched his first opera perform ...

, and

Luba Orgonasova Luba may refer to: Geography *Kingdom of Luba, a pre-colonial Central African empire * Ľubá, a village and municipality in the Nitra region of south-west Slovakia *Luba, Abra, a municipality in the Philippines *Luba, Equatorial Guinea, a town ...

Armin Jordan Armin Jordan (9 April 1932 – 20 September 2006) was a Swiss conductor known for his interpretations of French music, Mozart and Wagner. Armin Jordan was born in Lucerne, Switzerland. "Mr. Jordan was a large man, with a slab of a face and a ful ...

Erato (1989) * Königin der Nacht in ''Die Zauberflöte'', with

Kurt Streit Kurt Streit (born 14 October 1959 in Itazuke, Fukuoka, JapanInternational who's who in music and musicians' directory: (in the classical and light classical fields), David M. Cummings, Volume One, 2000/2001) is an Austrian-American tenor who perfor ...

Barbara Bonney Barbara Bonney (born April 14, 1956) is an American soprano. She is associated with lyric soprano roles in operas by Mozart and Richard Strauss as well as lieder performances. Early life Bonney was born in Montclair, New Jersey. As a child she pr ...

Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra,

Arnold Östman Arnold Östman (born December 24, 1939) is a Swedish conductor and music director. Early life Born in Malmö, Sweden, Östman studied art history and musicology at Lund, Paris and Stockholm. As a musician, he concentrated on the piano and the ha ...

. L'Oiseau Lyre (1992) * Zerbinetta in R. Strauss: '' Ariadne auf Naxos'' (original 1912 version), Kent Nagano. Virgin Classics (1997) This was the first recording of 1912 original version of R. Strauss and required Sumi JO hit the F ₆ note in Zerbinetta's aria.Strauss: ''Ariadne auf Naxos'', Etc. / Nagano, Price, Jo, Et Al , ArkivMusic
/ref> * Giulietta in Offenbach: '' Les Contes d'Hoffmann'' with Roberto Alagna, Natalie Dessay, and José van Dam. Kent Nagano. Erato * Rossini: '' Le comte Ory'' with Diana Montague, Gilles Cachemaille, Gino Quilico,

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, John Aler. Orchestre et Choeur de l'Opéra de Lyon John Eliot Gardiner, Philips. * Rossini: ''

'' with

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, Sir Neville Marriner, Philips. * Rossini: '' Tancredi'' with

Ewa Podleś Ewa Podleś (; born April 26, 1952) is a Polish coloratura contralto singer who has had an active international career both on the opera stage and in recital. She is known for the agility of her voice and a vocal range which spans more than three ...

. Alberto Zedda. Naxos * Bellini: '' Norma'' with Cecilia Bartoli.

Giovanni Antonini Giovanni Antonini (born 1965) is an Italian conductor and soloist on the recorder and baroque transverse flute. He studied in his native Milan, and attended the Civica Scuola di Musica in that city and the Centre de Musique Ancienne in Geneva. In 1 ...

. Decca

Guest performances and film music

* Kenny G " Rhythm & Romance" Featuring with Sumi Jo – Mirame Bailar * MBC epic drama " Ju-mong" O.S.T. (2006) Sumi Jo – A Memory of Love * KBS drama "

The Lost Empire The Lost Empire may refer to: *''Tarzan and the Lost Empire ''Tarzan and the Lost Empire'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twelfth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first publishe ...

" O.S.T. (2 CDs) Doremi, Korea (2001.12.03) Sumi Jo – If I Leave * MBC drama "Hu-jun" O.S.T. (1999) Sumi Jo – Elegy of Separation (Bulinbeolgok) *

Wojciech Kilar Wojciech Kilar (; 17 July 1932 – 29 December 2013) was a Polish classical and film music composer. One of his greatest successes came with his score to Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992, which received the ASCAP Award ...

, vocalise for the soundtrack of the 1999 film '' The Ninth Gate''. * Cover version of the title song of

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

's 2010 musical '' Love Never Dies''. * Several of Sumi Jo's recordings were used as the character Veda's singing voice in the 2011 HBO

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

version of ''

''. She recorded new tracks specifically for the film, including the " Bridal Chorus" from Wagner's '' Lohengrin'' and the popular standard " I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." *She performed "

" by David Lang at the end of the film '' Youth'' (2015)

DVD

* DVD ''Sumi Jo in Paris – For My Father'' (2006)

Filmography

Web shows

Awards and honors

* 2022 – Korea Image Award Foundation Stone Award * 2019 - Sumi Jo received the Order of the Italian Star and granted the Cavaliere title by the Italian government * 2008 – Sumi Jo received the international Puccini Award * 2008 – Sumi Jo sang at the International Olympic Games in Beijing * 2006 Winner of the Proud Korean Award for Culture and Art * 2005 7th Winner of KwanAk Award by Alumni Association of Seoul National University * 2003 – Sumi Jo was elected as an "Artist for Peace" of UNESCOVancouver Symphony Orchestra – The Concerts – Artist Bios
* 2002 – Sumi Jo sang at the World Cup in Seoul, KoreaESPNsoccernet.com World Cup 2002: Hiddink: Koreans closing the gap
/ref> * 2002 18th Woman of the Year by Korea Women Committee * 1997 Best Vocal Album by French Cultural Critics * 1997 Winner of 5th KBS Overseas Korean Award * 1996 Winner of 1st Korean-Chinese Youth Academic Award * 1996 The Best Selling Album of the Year award by British Classic * 1995 Decorated with the Order of Culture Merit, South Korea * 1995 Grand prize winner of Women Dong-a by Dong-a Daily News, Seoul, South Korea * 1994 Winner of Best Soprano, Chile * 1994 Winner of Kim SuGeun Award for Performing Art, Seoul, South Korea * 1993 Winner of La Siola d'Oro, Forli, Italy * 1993 Winner of Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (conducted by Sir Georg Solti, Deca label) * 1992 Winner of Hong Nanpa Memorial Award * August 1986 First prize in the Carlo Alberto Cappelli International Competition at Verona * October 1986 Graduated with honors from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory * 1986 Winner of Pretoria International Music Competitions, South Africa * 1985 Winner of 'Francisco Viñas' International Singing Competition,Barcelona, Spain for Best Female Voice, Best Male Voice went to Samuel Cook. * 1985 Winner of Viotti International Music Competition (Concorso Internazionale di Musica Viotti), Italy * 1985 Winner of Sicily Enna International Musical Competition, Italy * 1985 Winner of Napoli Zonta International Competition, Italy * 1985 Winner of Viotti International Music Competition, Trieste, Italy (Concorso Internazionale di Musica Viotti)

References

External links

* * * * , from Adolphe Adam's '' Le toréador'', Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2000
Streamopera.com/Sumi Jo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jo, Sumi 1962 births Living people Grammy Award winners People from Seoul Seoul National University alumni Conservatorio Santa Cecilia alumni 20th-century South Korean women singers South Korean operatic sopranos South Korean Roman Catholics 21st-century South Korean women singers 20th-century women opera singers 21st-century women opera singers Erato Records artists KAIST faculty