Korean soprano Sumi Jo, who will make her Macau debut this Christmas, hopes her audience will fall in love at her concert and compares opera to an elevated salad

What was your introduction to opera?
My mother wanted to be an opera singer, but she couldn’t realise her dream. Her passion and dream were poured into me, so I had no choice but to choose opera. That’s why I didn’t like opera at first, because I heard Maria Callas every day and I hated that.

My first passion was American pop music. I used to work in a restaurant to earn some extra money during summer vacation. I listened to Barbra Streisand, the Eagles and Earth, Wind & Fire, and all those pop musicians.

My passion for opera started when I went to Italy at the age of 20. Even that courageous adventure wasn’t my idea; it was my mother’s. I was in my first year at university, but I got kicked out because I wasn’t very good at studying. I always went to the discotheque to drink and smoke. Then my mother said, “It’s such a pity because you are such a talented girl. You should go to Italy, where opera started.” So I went, without a solid plan. But when I got there, I understood its appeal.

What was it about opera that attracted you?
I went to see Tosca at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. I trembled at the performance and how the human voice could touch so many people’s hearts even when the singers didn’t use amplifiers. It was only their voices, charm and energy telling a love story and a tragedy. In three hours, you could feel everything in a lifetime.

It didn’t matter if I was from South Korea, Turkey or the US—we can all feel the same emotions and melodrama. That’s why, even though opera isn’t the most popular art form today, it is a universal language that has survived for centuries across the world.

Read more: Hong Kong musical ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ brings music festival vibes to West Kowloon

How has opera evolved?
Nowadays, beyond good vocals, the industry also values the overall presentation on stage. That’s a huge change. In the international singing competition that I founded, sometimes the finalists win by a nose through putting together a strong visual presentation. From beautiful dresses to facial expressions, it’s all part of storytelling.

What should be done to further promote opera today?
Opera can be difficult if you don’t have the basic knowledge of music. Before attending an opera or any classical performance, you need to spend some time studying the music or story. Classical music requires time and energy, but it’s like an upgrade to your cultural consumption.

It’s like a salad: there are the usual carrots or tomatoes, but you can always add new ingredients to make it more colourful, beautiful and full of flavour. So make your life more interesting and deeper with classical music. If you’re used to K-pop, give this genre a try. Stay curious.

That’s also why I invited the Chinese baritone Wang Yun-Peng. I want to introduce the audience to different musical cultures. I see the concert as a “date” between us and the audience. By the end of the concert, I hope we will have fallen in love.

What advice would you give to the next generation of opera singers?
Join as many international singing competitions as you can—not just for winning, but to grow through the process of meeting and learning from other contestants. Don’t be afraid to face your opponents.

The second thing is to keep your life simple. Today, there are many distractions like social media. If you want to be a professional, devote your time to what you truly want to develop.

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