Sumi Jo looks back on her life in music on 40th year of int'l debut
Soprano Sumi Jo / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
World-renowned soprano Sumi Jo met local audiences at the Berlin Philharmonie’s main concert hall on Thursday, marking the 40th anniversary of her debut. In an interview with Hankook Ilbo a day before the concert, Jo said, “From the beginning of my career, I held firmly to my identity as a soprano from Korea,” adding, “I had a strong desire for my country to prosper faster than I did.”
After leaving for Italy to study in 1983, Jo made her debut on Oct. 26, 1986, as Gilda in Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto” at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Italy. Although she has since spent much of her life in Europe, her affection for Korea has remained exceptional. During preparations for the concert, she even spontaneously suggested playing the "janggu," a traditional Korean drum, onstage the following day.
Jo is also deeply interested in nurturing young musicians. She holds an international competition named after her in France and travels around the world to give master classes.
“I want to introduce more Asian musicians, including those from Korea, China and Japan, to Europe,” she said. “When I meet talented musicians from Asia, I really want them to succeed, so I try to support them in every way I can.”
The following is an excerpt from the interview.
Q. How do you feel about marking your 40th anniversary?
A. It feels like yesterday that I landed at Rome airport on March 28, 1983, with two bags. I quickly moved on from being a student and made my debut three years later, but I can't believe 40 years have passed. Looking at the diary I kept back then, it was 40 years of living intensely, day by day, like a war.
Q. What is your connection to Berlin?
A. The most important places in my musical life are Italy, France and Austria, but I love Germany, which has produced so many great composers, and I like the German lifestyle. Unlike the relaxed pace of Italy and Spain, coming here makes me pull myself together. I pay a lot of attention to the atmosphere of concert halls, and this place has the Berlin Philharmonie.
Q. Did you expect to perform for more than 40 years when you made your debut?
A. Not at all. All I could think about was quitting quickly and returning to Korea. Then I met Maestro Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) and signed with a major international record company, and I became ambitious.
I went through tremendous hardship. I ate bread soaked in tears and even collapsed on the street from malnutrition. But I persevered with my identity as a soprano born in Korea. Back then, because of the name “Sumi,” local media introduced me as Japanese. I called newspaper offices and visited them in person to have it corrected to Korean.
Note: Sumi Jo auditioned for Karajan, the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years, during the Salzburg Festival in 1987. The conductor has called her voice a "voice given by God."
Q. What have you gained and lost over 40 years since your debut?
A. Before turning 30, I became the first Asian to perform on the stages of the world's five major opera houses (New York, London, Paris, Vienna and Milan). I also received honors from Italy and France, a Grammy Award and the Maria Callas Award. Instead, I gave up the life of having a family and husband. It was a deal I made with myself. I thought it was my destiny, so I enjoy living this way.
Q. You are very interested in nurturing young musicians.
A. I want Asian musicians to do better in Europe. Winning prizes at major international competitions is not everything. What matters is communicating with audiences on the solo stage afterward, and I want to give them more opportunities to do that.
I thought I wouldn't be suited to teaching others because I'm impatient, but surprisingly, it suits me, and I learn a lot, too. There are great musicians who think, “Why should I give away for free what I worked so hard to learn?” But when I meet a talented musician, I want to give them everything I have.” (Jo held a master class the previous day at the Korean Cultural Center in Germany for young musicians from Korea, China and Germany.)
Q. How do you want to be remembered?
A. Being recognized internationally is important, but I want to remain an artist whom Korea loves most and is proud of. If Korea protected me in the past, now I want to take care of Korea with a mother's heart.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.