Sumi Jo: "I Want to Give Back the Love I've Received... 'Sumi Jo Festival' to Be Held Next Year"

Soprano Sumi Jo has announced that she will hold a music festival bearing her name, the "Sumi Jo Festival," in Korea next year. Following the launch of the "1st Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition" last year?the first international vocal competition in Korea to be named after a Korean musician?she plans to present her second major project next year.

At a press conference held on June 16 at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Sumi Jo explained her motivation for organizing the Sumi Jo Festival, saying, "I wanted to give back the love I have received to Korea, and I thought music was the only way to do so." She added, "I want to create a festival lasting three to five days where people can enjoy all genres of music, from traditional Korean music to pop, K-pop, classical, and musicals. I hope to leave behind a festival in Korea that has the feeling of a park concert where families can come together and enjoy music."

Soprano Sumi Jo, who was awarded the highest French cultural and artistic honor, the "Commandeur," is explaining about the concert with the winners of the "1st Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition," which will be held from the 19th, at a press conference held on the 16th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by SMI

The press conference was attended by four winners of the 1st Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition, which was held in Paris, France, in July last year. Sumi Jo will perform opera aria concerts with these winners starting on June 19. The tour will begin in Jeonju on the 19th, followed by Seongnam on the 21st, Seoul on the 22nd, and Chuncheon on the 24th.

The 1st Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition attracted over 500 vocalists from 15 countries. Chinese baritone Zhihao Li won first place by unanimous decision. Romanian tenor George Virban, Korean tenor Lee Gieop, and French soprano Juliette Taquine took second to fourth place, respectively.

Sumi Jo explained that she organized the vocal competition because she wanted to provide opportunities for young vocalists.

"Even if a singer wins many competitions, it is extremely difficult to have a long-lasting career. They need a lot of support. I also won many awards in competitions, but after receiving the prizes, no one paid attention to me. I didn't like that. The Sumi Jo Competition aims to focus more on supporting the winners. By touring with them, I want to help promote them and give them more opportunities."

Sumi Jo also recalled that competitions were vital for young vocalists, reflecting on her own experience when she first went to study in Italy.

"When I first went to study in Italy in 1983, I entered many competitions. I wanted to gauge my abilities, but above all, I was struggling financially and coveted the prize money. I remember winning about seven international competitions and living for several years without any help from my parents thanks to the prize money."

She said that organizing a competition had been a dream she had cherished for four to five years, and she was able to realize that dream last year with the help of many people. She also announced plans to hold the 2nd Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition next year and stated her intention to establish a foundation so that the competition can continue indefinitely, even without her direct involvement.

Sumi Jo emphasized that she expects responsibility as well as talent from the competition winners.

"I tell the winners that we are not just people who sing well, but people who make society more beautiful and change the world. You must have a clear purpose and sense of responsibility for making music. Before the competition, I always conduct interviews, and if the contestants have similar abilities, I give higher marks to those with a clear sense of purpose for making music."

Soprano Sumi Jo is taking a commemorative photo with the winners of the 1st Sumi Jo International Vocal Competition.
Photo by SMI

Sumi Jo attended the press conference wearing the "Commandeur," the highest grade of the French Order of Arts and Letters, which she was awarded at the end of last month. She became the third Korean to receive the Commandeur, following Kim Jungok, former president of the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service (2002), and conductor Myung-Whun Chung (2011).

Sumi Jo said, "This medal is not just my own honor, but also an honor for Korea, so I wanted to wear it and share the moment." She also expressed her pride in the fact that Korean culture is now attracting global attention.

"When I first went to study in Italy, I struggled immensely for three to four years. At that time, no one knew where Korea was, and every time I boarded a plane with a Korean passport, I had a hard time. I was always detained while they checked whether I was from South Korea or North Korea, and there were several times when flights were delayed because of me. Back then, I thought Korea really needed to succeed. Now, it feels like the day has come when we Koreans can proudly hold our heads high."

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of Sumi Jo's international debut. It is also the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. Sumi Jo stated, "I will continue to work hard as a cultural ambassador in the future."