40 years on stage, soprano Sumi Jo says music can 'change people'

▲ Soprano Sumi Jo is seen in this photo taken by photographer Kim Young-joon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Soprano Sumi Jo (C) poses for a photo with former French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin (R) and French conductor Louis Langree after receiving France's Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest rank of the three-tier honor bestowed by the French Ministry of Culture, at the Opera-Comique in Paris on May 26, 2025, in recognition of her contributions to French art. (Yonhap)

▲ Soprano Sumi Jo performs during a bilateral cultural exchange event at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 18, 2025, which South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, attended. (Yonhap)

soprano-interview

40 years on stage, soprano Sumi Jo says music can 'change people'

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- Renowned South Korean soprano Sumi Jo has said she hopes to "share the love" she has received through music as she marks the 40th anniversary of her stage debut.

"How did 40 years pass like this? People say life is but a midsummer night's dream," the 63-year-old told Yonhap News Agency in an interview ahead of her anniversary concert "Mad for Love," to be held at London's Cadogan Hall on Thursday (local time). "Reading my diaries from those years, I realize I truly lived with all my heart."

The Grammy-winning artist said the concert program reflects her artistic journey, spanning baroque repertoire, opera arias and Korean art songs. She invited young American baritone Edward Nelson as a guest performer, part of her effort to support emerging talent.

Since taking the role of Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto" at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Italy, in 1986, Jo has performed in leading opera houses around the world.

Her ties with Britain date back to her high school days, when her father visited London in the late 1970s and asked officials at the Royal Opera House how his daughter might one day debut there.

Decades later, she became the first Asian prima donna to perform on the world's five major opera stages before the age of 30.

"At that time, people didn't even know where Korea was," she recalled. "Entering the European opera scene as an Asian singer was not easy. Since the art form carries so much of Europe's own history and culture, appearance mattered a lot."

Jo went on to become a pioneer in the field, becoming the first Korean to win a Grammy Award and the first Asian recipient of Italy's Golden Goose Award, given to its top soprano. She also became the first non-Italian to win the Puccini Award and last year received France's Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the nation's highest cultural honor, for her contributions to French art.

The soprano credits her success to a mix of talent, discipline and supportive mentors, including her parents and Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan, who discovered her in her early 20s and coined her moniker "the voice from God."

"I owe everything to him," Jo said. "He treated me like family, and I was with him until the day before he passed away. I want to give back the love I've received."

Her desire to nurture the next generation led her to establish the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition in 2024. The biennial event, now in its second edition, aims to help young Asian singers gain international exposure.

"Competitions saved me during my student days," said the soprano who studied in Italy. "That's why I set the prize money quite high -- 80,000 euros in total. But it's not only about prizes. We offer performance opportunities that can open doors. Music should change people and society, and I think that's our role as artists."

Asked what advice she would give young musicians, Jo's reply was simple: "Focus on one thing. There are no shortcuts in art. You grow stronger only by overcoming difficulties."

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