Soprano Sumi Jo / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
In a move that signals a blurring of the lines between classical music and global pop culture, world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo signed an exclusive recording contract with SM Entertainment.
The partnership, announced through the company’s classical imprint, SM Classics, positions Jo as the label’s first exclusive artist and serves as a strategic cornerstone for the firm’s expansion into the international classical market.
The deal arrives as Jo prepares to mark her 40th anniversary with the release of a new album, "Continuum," slated for May. The 11-track project is framed not merely as a retrospective, but as a bridge between the rigorous traditions of the operatic stage and the slick, contemporary sensibilities of the Seoul music industry. In a statement, Jo characterized the work as a "culmination and a new beginning," featuring a repertoire that ranges from previously unrecorded coloratura arias to modern compositions that defy easy categorization.
The album also leans into the collaborative spirit of the K-pop era. It features a duet with Suho, the leader of K-pop boy band EXO, and a performance with the violinist Danny Koo, suggesting a deliberate effort by SM Classics to cultivate a younger, more diverse audience for the genre.
The announcement follows a high-profile spring for the soprano, who performed in London and New York in March. Her 40th anniversary tour will return to Korea in May, followed by a pivot to France in July, where she is scheduled to host an international vocal competition.
For SM Entertainment, securing a talent of Jo’s pedigree — a singer once described by Herbert von Karajan as possessing a voice "from above" — marks a definitive step in its ambition to industrialize Korean classical music for the global stage.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
