World-famous Korean soprano Sumi Jo will join the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in a one-night only gala performance of breathtaking coloratura arias at the Esplanade on October 17.
Her repertoire will include “Sempre libera” from La Traviata and “Caro nome” from Rigoletto. The programme also features a selection of orchestral favourites from the opera stage. Maestro Lan Shui conducts.
Born in Seoul, Sumi Jo studied piano and singing at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. Blessed with a voice of crystal purity and a dazzling technique, she was soon brought to the attention of the legendary maestro Herbert von Karajan, who invited her to sing Oscar in Un ballo in maschera and to record a video called "Karajan in Salzburg". Since then, she has appeared in the most prestigious international houses.
As a child, Sumi Jo went through piano, ballet, ice-skating, singing and kayagum lessons. She readily admits it was a stressful childhood, adding: “My mother was a very ambitious woman and when she was pregnant, she already knew that she was going to make an opera singer or a recitalist out of me.”
And although she often portrays the oppressed heroine with a tragic life on stage, she tells you that in reality, she is really the opposite. “That’s why I always prefer comic roles like Rosina, Marie in La Fille du Regiment or all the ‘buffo’ roles,” said the 45-year-old soprano. -- www.sso.org.sg
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