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On May 7, Sumi Jo, the world-class prima donna, released a 40th-anniversary album that traces her musical life from past to present and into the future.
SM CLASSICS premiered a special video for the duet “Romance,” featuring Sumi Jo and EXO’s Suho, on its YouTube channel. Composed by Park Jong-hoon with lyrics by Danny Gu and Jang Geun-yeop, the track pairs Jo’s powerful yet crystalline soprano with Suho’s warm, smooth mid-to-low register.
Created with leading composers from Korea and abroad, the album includes Reinhold Glière’s “Concerto for Coloratura Soprano,” a medley titled “Medley: History of Sumi Jo” that stitches together repertoire from her 40-year career, and an “Adagio” based on a melody by Albinoni. Apart from those pieces, most of the tracks are original compositions that reflect Jo’s fearful moments while studying overseas, her longing for Korea, and the anxieties and excitement she feels about the future.
The album’s title track, “How Beautiful” (Areumdawora), is a Korean art song composed by Kim Jin-hwan for Sumi Jo. With lines such as “Even the tears born of trials—even those—love is simply beautiful,” the song expresses gratitude and love deepened by years of experience. The track “Encore” evokes a moment Jo spent walking along the Seine while pondering her future, and “Arirang Cantabile” conveys her feelings for the parents who have always worried for and loved her. Across 11 tracks, listeners encounter Jo’s voice and vivid emotional expression.
To mark her 40th anniversary, Sumi Jo is presenting a concert program that encapsulates her musical career. Beginning this month, she will tour cities across South Korea — including Seoul, Changwon, Bucheon and Yongin — to meet domestic audiences. In July she will host the second Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition at the Château de la Ferté-Angbo in France. She also continues to invest in training young singers and expanding the reach of classical music.
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