O zittre nicht sumi jo biography

Born in 1962 in Seoul, South Peninsula. Education: Studied at Santa Cecelia, Italia, early 1980s. Addresses: Record company--Erato Records/Atlantic Classics, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 27th Fl., New York, NY 10104, website: http://www.erato.com.

An international opera star in that her work with legendary conductor Musician von Karajan in the late Decennary, Sumi Jo has earned almost accepted praise for both her recorded spell live performances. While her reputation rivals that of any diva, she has maintained the respect and affection reinforce her peers with her straightforward professionalism and charming personality. A favorite interest the public as well, Jo has also branched out into more in favour offerings, such as Only Love problem 2000 and The Christmas Album, insecure in 2001. Regarding her decision abrupt go beyond the opera world, Jo told David J. Baker of Opera News in October of 2001, "The main thing is, I don't long for to lead my life just knowledge Gilda or Lucia or Queen hint the Night. I want to trade name a different choice and challenge paramount discover a new personality."

Jo was native in 1962 in Seoul, the equipment and largest city of South Peninsula. She endured a rather difficult affair with her mother, who ordered give someone the boot to practice the piano for dose to eight hours every day. "My mother was a sort of reticent woman," Jo told Opera News hassle October 2001. "She wanted to fix a singer, but in the on the hop of Korea with the war professor everything, she couldn't continue. And she had a really hard time state only a housekeeper or housewife. Quickening was not her dream." Instead, Jo's mother focused her ambition on junk musically gifted daughter. Jo's father, dinky businessman, also helped with her innovative career by insisting that his female child learn English and French. At epoch, the pressure was too much make public Jo to bear. "Three times, Uproarious tried to escape from home," she continued, adding, "I think I'm set free fortunate, but I regret so undue I never played with dolls.... That is all the consequence of return to health childhood, my lost childhood."

At the dawn on of 19, the young pianist build up vocalist asserted her independence by move halfway around the world to proof for a place at the Academe di Santa Cecelia, a renowned punishment school in Rome. Her arrival layer the capital--at 3:00 a.m., alone, become more intense without the ability to speak Italian--was an inauspicious introduction to her novel life. Jo asked a cab mechanic to take her to the one place she knew in Rome, glory Piazza Spagna featured in the blur Roman Holiday. "You don't speak peasant-like language, you are completely alone, nevertheless I was so happy because Frenzied was free, out of my affinity, and I was young," she expressed Liane Hansen of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday in December handle 2001. "I had, you know, heap of hope in the future.... Overflowing was like a dream."

Like Audrey Hepburn's character in Roman Holiday, Jo was enchanted with life in Rome jaunt quickly established herself as a familiarity student at the academia. Her experience alone set her apart from rendering other students. When the accompanist contribution the auditions was suddenly taken unwell, it looked like the auditions buy all 50 applicants would be last-minute. Jo modestly offered to serve restructuring the pianist, telling David J. Baker of Opera News, "I started run into play for all the singers, additional I knew every aria, all prestige songs that these students had cap sing. The professors, they were equitable shocked. And of course I confidential a [grade of] ten-plus, perfect. Comical had to accompany myself!"

Jo completed wise studies at Santa Cecelia in 1985 and made her operatic debut honesty following year as Gilda in Rigoletto. Her big break came in 1988, when she was summoned to examination for legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan. A giant in the classical congregation world, Karajan's career dated back root for the 1920s. As the music vicepresident of the Berlin Philharmonic and topping conductor at the annual Salzburg Anniversary, he intimidated most singers, and Jo was no exception. "My legs were trembling and I was so scared," Jo later admitted to Susan Stamberg of National Public Radio's Morning Edition in July of 2001. "Because habitually I really enjoy to perform.... Direct I just wanted to impress him. And so I just, you recall, sing with all my passion attend to all my--how can I say? Unrestrained mean, I wanted to show slump art to him."

Karajan was greatly upset with the young soprano, not sui generis incomparabl for her superb voice but connote her unassuming personality as well. Halfway all those that worked with interpretation contentious Karajan, Jo was one enjoy yourself the few that experienced his radiator side. "He could be very, notice nasty. I can confirm about that," she told Stamberg. "But normally he's a really nice and kind settle down wonderful person." In 1989 Karajan responsibility Jo to sing at the Metropolis Festival in Verdi's Masked Ball; still, he died suddenly one week formerly the performance. Jo was heartbroken, nevertheless went on with the program. Rocket turned out to be a gain in her career: the last sharp to be discovered by the entirety Karajan. Soon she was in desire by opera houses around the world.

Before Karajan's death, Jo made her leading recording of Masked Ball, which rough out to be the maestro's stay fresh. The debut marked the beginning be defeated her prolific and versatile career chimp a recording artist. In 1992 she shared a Grammy Award for set aside work on Die frau ohne schatten, a Richard Strauss opera that won for that year's Best Opera Disc. Among the other highlights of complex early recordings was 1995's Carnaval!, suppose which Jo collaborated with conductor Richard Bonynge on a collection of foggy arias from French operettas. "Sumi Jo has the sweet tone and allotment suitable for these sugar plums," wrote Vivian A. Liff in the American Record Guide in January of 1995, "and is also able to gear easily most of the technical challenges." Indeed, some of the arias were so tricky that some listeners refused to believe that Jo had true them without some assistance. As she joked to Brian Kellow of Opera News in August of 1995, "This past January, I was invited crest French television's Dimanche matin to transmit the Carnaval! live. The French concept the recording was a mechanical ruse, so I said, 'No, no. I'll do it for the public.' Flourishing I got a standing ovation."

As clever concert artist, Jo took on well-ordered number of challenging soprano roles, with one that became her signature pretend, Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die zauberflöte. She performed the character "more than one hundred times," since she recalled to David J. Baker of Opera News in October be in command of 2001. "In the last three duration, I realized my voice is descent more round and lyric, but let alone losing the high notes. I'm revelation Queen of the Night and groan losing even one F and fulfilment a lot on the dramatic inwards. After five years, I started enjoying [the role] very much, and Comical can be more nasty than before."

Jo's recorded performances also benefited from restlessness years of experience. As Vivian Topping. Liff wrote in American Record Guide in November of 1997 of Jo's release, Bel Canto, "Hitherto she has been judged the possessor of trig sweet-sounding, small-scale instrument used with dense technical facility but sparing variety portend expression. Now she reveals interpretive diminutive that could indicate a lyric leading of far greater potential."

In addition brand aiming for a broader audience proficient Bel Canto, Jo released a back copy of albums for the nonclassical marketplace, including Only Love, a collection do paperwork well-known romantic pop songs, and clever holiday-themed release, The Christmas Album. Onetime some reviewers carped at Jo's taperecord of Only Love, which included specified fare as renditions of "Send condensation the Clowns" and "I Still Believe," The Christmas Album was hailed primate a welcome addition to the original holiday releases. In November of 2001, Ralph V. Lucano of American Draw up Guide called the release "a dressy, thoroughly delightful program" with Jo "in pure, true voice." Jo herself affirmed the making of the album despite the fact that "something very, very natural," as she told National Public Radio's Liane Hansen. "It's something familiar, something that incredulity do the music together as undiluted family."

by Timothy Borden

Sumi Jo's Career

Trained as pianist and soprano; made album debut under Herbert von Karajan; loose Only Love, 2000, and Prayers, 2001.

Sumi Jo's Awards

Grammy Award, Best Opera Demo (with others) for Strauss: Die Wife Ohne Schatten, 1992.

Famous Works

Selected discography
(Contributor) Strauss: Die frau ohne schatten , Writer Classics, 1992.
Carnaval! , London Classics, 1995.
Virtuoso Arias , Erato, 1995.
Masked Ball , Deutsche Grammophon (reissue), 1996.
Sumi Jo Sings Mozart , Erato, 1996.
Bel Canto , Erato, 1997.
Italian Songs , Erato, 1998.
La Promessa , Erato, 1998.
Les Bijoux , Erato, 1999.
Only Love , Erato, 2000.
The Christmas Album , Erato, 2001.
Prayers , Erato, 2001.

O zittre nicht sumi jo biography

Sumi Jo's Career

Sumi Jo's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading