Soprano Sumi Jo Celebrates 40 Years: What to Expect from the Special Album ‘Continuum’ and National Tour

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Special album, national tour and an international competition: the anniversary project ramps up
Includes a duet with EXO’s Suho


“It’s the fruit of 40 years and the start of something new.”

Soprano Sumi Jo marked the 40th anniversary of her international debut by partnering with SM Entertainment to release a special album, CONTINUUM.

On the afternoon of the 6th, Jo held a press conference at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam to lay out the scope and meaning of her anniversary plans.

The project is being developed with SM Classics, SM Entertainment’s classical and jazz label, which in April signed an exclusive agreement with Jo to produce the album and its digital releases. Before the press conference, Lee Sung-soo, SM’s chief A&R officer, attended the contract signing and praised Jo’s global career. “From the beginning, SM has developed music with international audiences in mind,” he said. “SM is celebrating its 30th anniversary, while Sumi Jo has been active overseas for 40 years.” He added that SM Classics was founded to broaden cultural content beyond K-pop and that the company hopes the collaboration will benefit Korean culture.

Jo said she wanted to strip away the solemn stereotype of classical music and reach wider audiences through SM’s broad platform. “I wanted two masters from different fields to meet and create something new. I’ve always favored a life of courage and challenge,” she said.

The album features works by domestic and international composers, including Yiruma, Park Jong-hoon, and Kim Jin-hwan, and is performed with conductor Choi Young-sun and the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra. Jo explained the album title: “‘Continuum’ is Latin for ‘to continue’ or ‘to progress.’ After 40 years, my career continues, and the title reflects my curiosity about what comes next.” She emphasized that the record isn’t a retrospective; it’s an effort to explore new musical directions.

One highlight is a duet with EXO’s Suho, titled “Romance.” “I’m an open-minded artist,” Jo said. “I love K-pop and I’m proud of it. I even listen to EXO when I work out.” She said she chose Suho not for his popularity but for the warmth of his voice and the steadiness he brings as a leader. “Suho often sang higher parts with EXO, but on this track he leaned into romantic, lower tones. I watched the recording session over video and could tell he’d prepared thoroughly. I’ve listened to it more than ten times,” she said with obvious delight. The album also includes a feature from violinist Danny Gu.

The nationwide tour begins on the 9th at Changwon’s Seongsan Art Center and runs through December, with 22 concerts in roughly 20 cities, including Seoul, Bucheon, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Busan, and Daejeon. In Seoul, Jo will give two special performances at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall in September: a 40th-anniversary recital on Sept. 4 and “2026 The Magic, Sumi Jo and Winners” on Sept. 8, featuring winners of international vocal competitions.

Asked to pick the defining moments of her four-decade career, Jo singled out three. After placing second in a European competition where no first prize was awarded, she learned the importance of being truthful to herself rather than performing for others. Being expelled from a Salzburg masterclass for lacking knowledge of German poets and philosophers taught her to study language and culture rigorously. And a joint concert with North and South Korean vocalists — where even the encore was controlled — reinforced for her that artistic and personal freedom are indispensable.

Looking ahead, Jo said her goals are threefold: to keep studying and refining her craft as a vocalist; to mentor and train the next generation; and to serve as a cultural ambassador, bringing classical music and vocal performance to broader audiences.

Meanwhile, Jo has been named the 2026 recipient of the Samsung Ho-Am Art Award. The awards ceremony is scheduled for June 1.