By Lee Hyo-won
Staff reporter
International opera star Sumi Jo is dazzling fans all over Japan with a 12-city tour through June 24.
The diva’s tour in Japan kicked off June 3 in Sapporo in time for the release of her new Deutsche Grammophon album ``In Concert,’’ which features popular operatic arias accompanied by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. The project is particularly making headlines for the participation of Tomomi Nishimoto, a Japanese female conductor who has a strong fan base in the rather conservative Japanese classical music scene.
Japanese fans are traditionally known for preferring instrumental performances over vocal ones and so local concert organizers are surprised that tickets for Jo’s tour are selling fast and concerts are full house performances, said Jo’s agency in Korea SMI Entertainment.
``This tour was possible because Sumi Jo has a wide fan base in Japan, which, means more than individual success _ it has paved the path for young Korean artists to shine on the international stage,’’ said Cho Young-joon, head of SMI Entertainment. Japanese concert organizers are showing an increasing amount of interest in Korean vocalists, he said.
The Japan Times has featured her in an interview article ``Diva of the highest order’’ (March 9, 2007) and also mentioned her when introducing rising opera singers, saying ``Sumi Jo isn’t the only Asian star to have taken the Western opera scene by storm in recent years.’’
Jo is more than a household name in her home country; for Koreans the singer is something of a cultural icon and the embodiment of national pride. She naturally graced the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup opening ceremony.
The soprano has so far performed at the Lwaki Performing Arts Center on June 6; Tokyo Electron Hall, June 8; Omlya Sonic City Hall, June 10; Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall on June 12; and Aichi Prefectural Arts Center, Nagoya on June 13.
She will continue singing Tuesday at the Symphony Hall, Osaka; Wednesday at the Acros Fukuoka Symphony Hall; Friday at the Kagoshima Civic Cultural Hall; and Sunday at the Biwako Hall Center, Otsu. She will wrap up the tour with concerts on June 22 at Toyama’s Audabe Hall followed by June 24 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo.