Soprano Sumi Jo, a star in Korea’s classical music scene, recently released the album “Mother,” dedicated to her mom.

The 57-year-old is one of the most beloved sopranos in Korea. She has won a Grammy award and released more than 40 albums across a wide spectrum of music since her debut in 1986 in Korea.

“I dreamed of making an album for all the mothers in the world,” Jo said at a press conference held Tuesday at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas.
 

“The album consists of more than classical music, but also folksongs and crossovers. Even non-fans of classical music can enjoy the recording, sharing the emotion for one’s mother.”

“My mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She cannot recognize me,” Jo said. “She once told me it would be nice if there was something to show that I remember her.”

Jo selected the 13 tracks of the album, including “Mother Dear,” “Kazabue,” “The Water is Wide” and “Ave Maria.” “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” written by Antonin Dvorak, was selected as Jo’s mother loved the piece.

“Since she cannot recognize me, I will just be with her, watching her enjoying music,” the soprano said, “It was hard to narrow down the 13 tracks when there are so many songs about mothers. I hope people can listen to this as if they were in their mother’s arms.” 

According to the singer, Jo’s mother had always regretted that she could not become a singer. She told Jo, not to get married and to travel the world as an artist, singing instead of her.

“One day, I was looking at her from behind, and I could see her as a woman, not as a mother. Then, I realized, the difficulties she must have gone through. I think that was the night that I decided to become a singer,” Jo recounted.

Celebrating the release of the album, Jo kicked off a nationwide tour titled “Mother Dear” on Sunday in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. After performing in six more cities across Korea, she will return to Seoul for the final concert at the Lotte Concert Hall on May 8.

The concert tour features Italian tenor-guitarist Federico Paciotti, who, like Jo, studied at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Italy. Having worked with the artist on various occasions, Jo invited him to sing “Eternal Love” for her new album and to join the tour.

Following the Korean tour, she will perform in Europe and Asia.

“Looking back on my career, I first started with operas. After making a name for myself, there were solo concerts and recitals. Now, there are proposals related to social contributions. It is a leap from being a performer to something more. This is a new start,” the soprano said.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)