by KoreaJoongAngDaily
Soprano Sumi Jo speaks to press on the day she received France's Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters during an awards ceremony at the Opera-Comique in Paris on May 26. [YONHAP]
Soprano Sumi Jo says it wasn’t the honor of receiving France’s highest cultural decoration that moved her to tears — it was the surprise performance that followed.
“It was wonderful to receive the medal, but the reason I cried was something else entirely,” she said.
Jo recalled receiving the Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture in Paris on May 26.
While in Shijiazhuang, China, for a performance early this month, Jo talked to the JoongAng Ilbo in a telephone interview.
“After the ceremony, 10 participants from the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition surprised me with a performance,” she said. “I had no idea. I was so touched — it felt like reuniting with beloved children, and I cried.”
The surprise performance of the Korean folk song “Arirang” at the medal ceremony was by contestants from the inaugural competition, held in France last July. They had traveled from their respective cities to Paris to sing together.
“That moment really captures what makes the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition special,” Jo said. “I’ve created a competition like no other. And next year, we’re launching a festival under the Sumi Jo name.”
Poster for Sumi Jo's concert with winners from the inaugural Sumi Jo International Singing Competition held in Shijiazhuang, China, on June 10. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Jo is set to perform with winners from the first competition in a gala concert at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on June 22. She’ll be joined by baritone Zihao Li, tenors George Virban and Lee Ki-up and soprano Juliette Tacchino.
They’ll sing major opera arias with the Millennium Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Choi Young-sun. The concert will also be held at Seongnam Arts Center on June 21 and Chuncheon Culture & Arts Center on June 24.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q. The first edition of the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition ended last year, but it seems the contestants are still very much performing together. Why is that?
A. I was a “competition kid” too — I started my career overseas through competitions. I’ve also served as a judge many times. But I always thought, what’s the point of handing out first, second and third prizes if we don’t follow through? So, for my own competition, I made sure the winners got on stage, gained experience and had a real chance to become stars. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past year.
What have the winners been doing over the past year?
Zihao Li, who took first place, made his debut with [Italian] conductor Riccardo Muti. George Virban, who won second, performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. We had a rehearsal today in China, and I can tell they’ve all become professionals. They’re confident, and their voices have grown tremendously.
Soprano Sumi Jo receives France's Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters during an awards ceremony at the Opera-Comique in Paris on May 26. [NEWS1]
So this is not a competition that merely ends with awards?
I’m a very affectionate person, and that’s something I’m proud of. These young singers felt that affection. That’s why they came from Romania, Germany and Russia all the way to Paris to sing “Arirang” for me as a surprise.
What did it mean to receive France’s highest cultural decoration?
Honestly, the more you get, the more you want. (Laughs) It feels strange — it makes you want to do better. I kept asking myself: what more can I do? What else can I contribute? It’s like a kind of energy that pushes me to realize my ideals.
You successfully held a large-scale competition last year, and the second edition is set for next year. Do you have any new dreams or ideas?
When I was preparing for the competition over four or five years, I thought of it as just a dream. But once it became real, it was pure joy. I felt like every cell in my body was dancing. Now I want to do even more. Sometimes I can’t sleep because I’m busy planning. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, write things down, and act on them.
Is there a reason you’re taking the role of a producer rather than a performer now?
I think I take after my father, who ran a business. The era of the distant, mysterious diva is over. Today, artists need to connect and share — and these ideas just keep coming to me.
What kind of ideas are you working on now?
This was supposed to be a secret, but do you know what my dream is? To hold a festival in a major Korean city. A music festival that gives everyone a chance — open to all. And I won’t limit it to classical music. I want people to enjoy music both in parks and in concert halls. I’ve been thinking about this for eight or nine years, and now it’s finally ready. We’ll launch the “Sumi Jo Festival” next year, to mark the 40th anniversary of my international debut.
Soprano Sumi Jo performs at the Busan Citizens Park on June 9. [CLASSIC BUSAN]
It sounds like a very free and open festival. What makes it special?
I’m actually a very conservative classical artist. I might look bold on stage, but I’m someone who checks every detail a hundred times. I don’t even like singing with a microphone — I’ve spent my life training my voice, and a mic can distort it. But I still sing at the Olympics and World Cup because even if I have to sacrifice a bit of vocal purity, I can share music with more people. Sometimes you have to be brave like that.
You debuted in Trieste, Italy, in 1986. Next year marks your 40th anniversary. With the second competition and your first festival coming up, do you have other projects planned?
I’m releasing a 40th anniversary album. I can’t reveal much yet, but it’ll be a bold and surprising project. I believe you have to take risks to do what you really want. I have a secret notebook where I’ve written down all the things I wanted to do in life, and checking them off one by one has been such a joy.
How much of those things have you fulfilled so far?
You may not believe this — but 98 percent of it has come true. And yet, I still have more dreams to chase!
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
Reference
Written by KIM HO-JUNG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]
Provided by Korea JoongAng Daily
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