Biography

South Korean soprano Sumi Jo’s interpretations of the most demanding coloratura and bel canto roles have garnered international acclaim, particularly her portrayals of Mozart’s Queen of the Night, Donizetti’s Lucia, and Bellini’s Norma. She has also proved herself in the works of Richard Strauss, including Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, and the Voice of the Falcon in Die Frau ohne Schatten.

In both concert and in the recording studio, Ms. Jo moves playfully between classical and pop. She has demonstrated her vocal and stylistic versatility in several crossover projects, including contributions to the award-winning soundtrack for Paolo Sorrentino’s Eternal Youth, in which she also appears as herself, and her solo album Only Love, which sold more than 1,200,000 copies. She has appeared at major events all over the world, including the closing ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, the opening ceremony of the 2011 Winter Asian Games in Kazakhstan, and the opening ceremony of the 2011 IAAF World Championship in Daegu. She also performed with Jonas Kaufmann, Renée Fleming, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as part of the program for the Olympic Games in Beijing, gave a Christmas concert with José Carreras in Barcelona, toured Asia with the Academy of Ancient Music, and performed at a concert at Lincoln Center in honor of Maria Callas. She made her San Francisco Symphony debut in January 1998.

Feb 2023