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Sumi Jo - Wikipedia
Sumi Jo - Wikipedia
Contents
Life and career
Early life and education
Career
Academy Award nomination and
exclusion
Personal life
Legacy
Recordings
Recitals
Opera recordings
Guest performances and film music
Jo in October, 2015
DVD
Born 22 November
Awards and honors
1962
References
Changwon, South
External links
Korea
Nationality South Korean
Life and career Occupation Lyric coloratura
soprano
Years active 1980s–present
Early life and education
Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong [tɕo sʰuɡjʌŋ] in Changwon, Korean name
South Korea. Her mother was an amateur singer and Hangul 조수미
pianist who had been unable to pursue her own
professional music studies because of politics in Hanja 趙秀美
Korea during the 1950s. Determined to provide her Revised Jo Sumi
daughter with opportunities she never had, Jo's Romanization
mother enrolled her in piano lessons at the age of 4
McCune– Cho Sumi
and later voice lessons at the age of 6. As a child, Jo
Reischauer
would often spend up to eight hours a day studying
music.[4] IPA /tɕo su.mi/
Birth name
In 1976, Jo entered the Sun Hwa Arts School from
which she graduated in 1980, receiving dual diplomas
Hangul 조수경
in voice and piano.[5] She has entered the department Revised Jo Sugyeong
of vocal music at the Seoul National University with Romanization
the best practical score since the department has McCune– Cho Sugyŏng
opened.[6] She continued her music studies at Seoul Reischauer
National University from 1981 to 1983. While
studying at SNU, Jo made her professional recital debut, appeared in several concerts with the
Korean Broadcasting System, and made her professional operatic debut as Susanna in The
Marriage of Figaro with Seoul Opera.[2]
In 1983, Jo left SNU in order to study at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Among her
teachers were Carlo Bergonzi 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 concentrations in keyboard and voice.
Following graduation, Jo began to study with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf[4] 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.[7]
Career
In 1986, Jo made her European operatic debut as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Teatro
Comunale Giuseppe Verdi 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.[8] Karajan's death during festival rehearsals prevented Jo from
actually singing on stage under his baton (Georg Solti 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.[9]
In 1988, Jo made her La Scala debut as Thetis in Jommelli's Fetonte.[10] 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.[11]
In 1990, Jo made her debut with the Chicago Lyric Opera as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's
The Magic Flute.[12] 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.[11] She returned to Covent Garden the next year to sing
Adina in L'elisir d'amore 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.[11]
The following year she made her debut with Los Angeles Opera as Sophie in Strauss' Der
Rosenkavalier.[8] 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 with
Minnesota Opera; 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 in Spain;
L'enfant et les sortilèges in Boston and Pittsburgh; Le comte Ory in Rome; and Dinorah in New
York. She also appeared in performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs-
Élysées, Opéra National de Paris, Washington Opera, 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,[13] the Cincinnati Pops, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Vienna
Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra among others. Her work led her to sing under such conductors as Sir
Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, James Levine, Kent Nagano, and Richard Bonynge. She
also gave recitals throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia.[14]
In 2002, Jo sang the theme song for the Korean Broadcasting System's broadcast of the 2002
FIFA World Cup, "The Champions".[15]
In 2007, Jo performed her first Violetta in La traviata 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.[2]
In 2008, Jo participated in the Beijing Olympics with Renée Fleming and Angela Georgiu.[16]
In 2011 Jo provided the singing voice of Veda Pierce in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce.
On 9 March 2018, Jo performed a specially-recorded duet with fellow vocalist Sohyang, the song
"Here As One", during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in
Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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.[17]
Personal life
Jo is the cousin aunt of South Korean actor Yoo Gun, his father's cousin sister.[18] Although Jo's
family lived in a rented property, her parents bought a piano for her to play.[19] 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.[20] She had studied music with a scholarship in Sunhwa
Arts Junior-High School and Sunhwa Arts High School for six years, and marked the highest
score in the history of Seoul National University (SNU) entrance exam, for her vocal
performance.
Just before she performed Ave Maria at Chatelet, Paris, in 2006, Jo's father, Enho 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.[21] She
has been claimed as "a voice from above" by Maestro Herbert von Karajan.[22] 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.[23]
Legacy
Aria of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, written by
Richard Strauss in 1912, is a difficult piece with high
notes over 20 minutes in length. Therefore, Strauss
modified part of sheet music because he thought it
was impossible to sing this song. In 1994, however, Jo
became the world's first artist who sang the song with
unedited original record.[24] She recorded this song
Sumi Jo performing at the
with a Japanese American conductor, Kent Nagano, inauguration of President Park
in Lyon, France.[25] Jo said it was the hardest record Geun-hye, February 2013
to sing ever. In 1993, she became first oriental
soprano to win the Italian Golden Goose Award. In
addition, Jo won six international competitions for the first time as an oriental soprano, and was
recorded as the first prima donna of the orient who starred in the world's opera theaters.[26]
"Her voice is the best gift God has given." said Herbert von Karajan, who is considered as the
greatest conductor of the 20th century. Karajan also admired, "I am surprised that you have
learned in Korea, are there such excellent teachers in Korea? Korea is a great nation".[27] The
New York Metropolitan Theater Opera News praised "her song has already crossed the criticism".
Le Monde of France evaluated her as "Even fairies listen to her songs".[28]
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.[13]
Recitals
Decca
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).
Missing You – songs of the world – Universal Korea DG (10 August 2010)
Ich liebe Dich – German lieder – 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, Stephan von Cron
(1995, worldwide release 1998, Samsung Music)
Saeya Saeya ( 새야 새야 ) Italian arias and Korean songs. The Korean Symphony, Nanse Gum
(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. [鄕愁] (2002,
E&E Media)
Opera recordings
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera with Plácido Domingo, Jean-Luc Chaignaud, 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. Richard Bonynge (2 CDs) Decca (9 April 1996)
Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, Georg Solti. Decca (1990)
Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, with Franz-Joseph Selig, Gösta Winbergh, and Luba
Orgonasova. Armin Jordan Erato (1989)
Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, with Kurt Streit, Barbara Bonney Drottningholm Court
Theatre Orchestra, Arnold Östman. 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.[29][30]
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, Nicolas
Rivenq, John Aler. Orchestre et Choeur de l'Opéra de Lyon John Eliot Gardiner, Philips.
Rossini: Il turco in Italia with Simone Alaimo, Sir Neville Marriner, Philips.
Rossini: Tancredi with Ewa Podleś. Alberto Zedda. Naxos
Bellini: Norma with Cecilia Bartoli. Giovanni Antonini. Decca
DVD
DVD "Sumi Jo in Paris – For my Father" (2006)[33]
References
1. "Jo Su-mi receives Italian order, knighthood" (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH2019050701290
0315?section=news). Yonhap News Agency. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
2. Wolf Artists: Sumi Jo (https://web.archive.org/web/20080803033652/http://www.wolfartists.co
m/jo.html)
3. Raphaelle Occhietti & William Sanger, Sumi Jo chante le bel canto (http://polyscope.qc.ca/sp
ip.php?article816) (Le Polyscope, 12 October 2008)
4. Sumi Jo: Devoted to Music (http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm9-8/Sumi-Jo.htm)
5. Sun Hwa Arts School website (http://www.sunhwa.org/custom/custom.do?dcpNo=104470)
6. 조수미 홈페이지 - Sumi Jo - Biography (http://www.josumi.com/sumi_bio_1.asp) Template:웨이
백
7. Biography for Sumi Jo – WindowsMedia.com Media Guide (http://www.windowsmedia.com/
Mediaguide/Templates/Biography.aspx?p_id=P%20%20%20311673)
8. LA Phil Presents | About the Performer – Sumi Jo (https://archive.is/20130127144150/http://
www.laphil.com/music/artist_detail.cfm?id=415&)
9. Deutsche Grammophon: www.deutschegrammophon.com (http://deutschegrammophon.co
m/cat/single?sort=newest_rec&PRODUCT_NR=4775641&javascript=1&UNBUYABLE=1&pe
r_page=100&ADD_OTHER=1&COMP_ID=VERGI&ART_ID=KARHE&presentation=list)
10. Culture – Korean (http://www.skynews.co.kr/skynews_main/ENGLISH/culture/culture_035.ht
m)
11. Metropolitan Opera Association (http://66.187.153.86/archives/frame.htm) Archived (https://
web.archive.org/web/20080203143633/http://66.187.153.86/archives/frame.htm) 2008-02-03
at the Wayback Machine
12. Lyric Opera of Chicago: www.lyricopera.org (http://www.lyricopera.org/about/cast1990.asp)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080928230732/http://www.lyricopera.org/about/cast
1990.asp) 2008-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
13. "Sumi Jo with the VSO!" (http://www.scena.org/blog/newswire/2008/01/sumi-jo-with-vso.htm
l) at LSM Newswire (4 January 2008)
14. www.hollywoodbowl.com (https://archive.is/20130127083653/http://www.hollywoodbowl.co
m/music/artist_detail.cfm?id=415)
15. The Champions – Sumi Jo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s6GD0Eo5dA) on YouTube
16. 조수미 세계 3대 소프라노 자격, 베이징올림픽 특별무대 오른다 (http://news.donga.com/3/all/200808
04/8611392/1) 동아일보 2008년 8월
17. "Oscar-Nominated Performers Call Academy Snub 'Very Sad' " (http://www.variety.com/201
6/film/news/oscar-nominated-performers-call-academys-snub-very-sad-1201717605/).
18. 유건, “소프라노 조수미가 내 5촌 고모” (http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=s
ec&sid1=106&oid=109&aid=0000075016)
19. NO.1 뉴미디어 마이데일리 (http://www.mydaily.co.kr/news/read.html?newsid=20081211005750
1115&ext=na)
20. 국내연예 뉴스 > 조수미무릎팍 '너무나도 혹독했던 피아노 연습?' (http://www.ezday.co.kr/bbs/view_b
oard.html?q_id_info=704&q_sq_board=956620)
21. 조수미, 아버지 장례식날 독창회 무대 올라 “어머니 서운했다” – 뉴스엔 (http://www.newsen.com/new
s_view.php?uid=201109140040091001)
22. Korean soprano Sumi Jo designated UNESCO Artist for Peace – UNESCO Celebrity
Advocates | UNESCO.org (http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12886&URL_DO=DO
_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html)
23. PETA Asia-Pacific | Media Resources | Recent News Releases | Su-Mi Jo Makes PETA's
Exclusive Best-Dressed List (http://www.petaasiapacific.com/newsreleasesitem.asp?id=1026
8) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110715065946/http://www.petaasiapacific.com/n
ewsreleasesitem.asp?id=10268) 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
24. 독일 가곡은 제 음악 인생의 소중한 젖줄이죠" (http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&
mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=015&aid=0002212517) 한국경제 2008년 12월
25. Adriane auf Naxos (https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Strauss-Burger-Edelmann-Ariadne/dp/
B007SAP7A8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391984575&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=adria
ne+auf+sumi+jo)아마존뮤직
26. 무릎팍' 소프라노 조수미, "잔인하다. 슬픔 이기고 노래한다는 건…" (http://news.naver.com/main/rea
d.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=117&aid=0001996044) 마이데일리 2008년 12월
27. 신이 내린 목소리 ‘조수미’& ‘AAM’ 이 온다. ‘폭풍이 몰아치고’, 가슴이 뛴다 (http://news.naver.com/m
ain/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=022&aid=0002249722) 세계일보 2008년
12월
28. 소프라노 조수미,의정부예술의전당서 '봄의 왈츠'공연 (http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode
=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=003&aid=0000381714) 뉴시스 2007년 4월
29. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos, Etc. / Nagano, Price, Jo, Et Al | ArkivMusic (http://www.arkivmus
ic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=52813)
30. Yahoo! Groups (https://groups.yahoo.com/group/coloratura/message/8991)
31. David Ng (2011). "The Operatic Highs and Lows of Mildred Pierce" (http://latimesblogs.latime
s.com/culturemonster/2011/04/the-operatic-highs-and-lows-of-mildred-pierce.html). Los
Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
32. Roddy, Michael. " "Candy-wrapper music" hits sweet spot in Cannes "Youth" movie" (https://
www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/20/filmfestival-cannes-youth-lang-idUSL5N0YB4Q7201505
20). Reuters. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
33. 조수미 “오 사랑하는 나의 아버지” 앙코르 ‘눈물의 사부곡’ :: 네이버 뉴스 (http://news.naver.com/main/
read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=144&aid=0000025108)
34. Top Operatic Singers from the World Greet Olympic Guests-Olympics-China News-News-
English- 东北新闻⽹ (http://www.liaoning-gateway.com/74591976929886208/20080821/2487
877.shtml)
35. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – The Concerts – Artist Bios (http://www.vancouversympho
ny.ca/bio_page.php?artistcode=SUMIJ) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20071219045
434/http://www.vancouversymphony.ca//bio_page.php?artistcode=SUMIJ) 2007-12-19 at the
Wayback Machine
36. ESPNsoccernet.com World Cup 2002: Hiddink: Koreans closing the gap (http://soccernet.es
pn.go.com/wc/newsStory?id=201714&lang=en)
External links
Official website (http://www.josumi.com/eng/index.php)
Sumi Jo (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/q31781) at AllMusic
Sumi Jo (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0423279/) on IMDb
Ah! vous dirai-je, maman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxRlSFMXk-0) on YouTube,
from Adolphe Adam's Le toréador, Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2000
Streamopera.com/Sumi Jo (https://www.streamopera.com/Catalogo/interpreti/Sumi_Jo-283)
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