An Interview With Grammy Award Winner Sumi Jo

Sumi Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong. She is a lyric colotura soprano opera singer, which means when she sings she will often switch between very high notes. Sumi Jo began taking music lessons as a young child; she was put on a strict regimen and would practice for hours every day. She later went on to study at Sun Hwa Arts School, Seoul National University and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She made her European debut in 1986 in Rigelletto, and continued to preform operas throughout the European continent. She has also appeared on the small screen; in 2011 she provided the singing voice for Veda Pierce for Mildred Pierce on the HBO mini-series, Mildred Pierce. Sumi Jo has also appeared in the movies, she was nominated for a 2016 Academy Award for her performance of David Lang’s “Simple Song Number 3” in the film Youth. She currently lives in Rome and has two dogs.