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MAD FOR LOVE
SUMI JO
40th anniversary RECITAL
SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2026
7:30PM
ESPLANADE CONCERT HALL
Don’t miss a historic musical milestone at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
Legendary, Grammy Award-winning soprano Sumi Jo celebrates 40 extraordinary years on the world's greatest stages with a breathtaking recital created exclusively for her Singapore audience. For four decades, Sumi Jo has thrilled the world with the extraordinary beauty, agility and expressive warmth of her voice.
Since her European debut in 1986, she has sung leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Wiener Staatsoper, and other major houses. She has recorded albums with conductors including Herbert von Karajan and Sir Georg Solti. Her honours include Korea’s Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit, France’s Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and more.
Sumi Jo will be partnered throughout the concert by Singaporean pianist Abigail Sin. They will also be joined by leading Singapore-based guest musicians Andrew Beer (Concertmaster of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra), Chan Yoong Han (SSO Acting Associate Concertmaster) and young Korean cellist Cho Hang-Oh.
This 40th-anniversary celebration of song and opera explores the many facets of love through music by Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Delibes, Debussy, Rossini, Bellini, traditional songs from Sumi Jo's native Korea and more. From breathtaking displays of vocal brilliance to moments of profound intimacy and poetry, the programme showcases both captivating solo performances and memorable ensemble collaborations, offering an evening of beauty, passion and unforgettable artistry.
"Nothing can diminish the superlatives due to Sumi Jo's exquisite singing." (Gramophone)
(Programme subject to change at the artist’s discretion.)
PROGRAMME
Arias and songs by Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Delibes, Debussy, Rossini, Bellini, Korean traditional songs, and more.
(Programme subject to change at the artists' discretion)
THE ARTISTS
SUMI JO, soprano
Internationally celebrated as one of the greatest bel canto sopranos of her generation, Sumi Jo has captivated audiences for nearly four decades with a voice praised for its shimmering beauty, astonishing agility and emotional depth. Since her professional debut in Italy in 1986, she has graced the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden in London, and major concert halls across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Her wide-ranging repertoire embraces the brilliant coloratura roles of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and her carefully chosen concert and recital programmes reveal her unique artistry and musical curiosity.
Throughout her career Jo has been honoured with many of the highest awards in music and culture. She received the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 1993, the Republic of Korea’s Gold Order of Cultural Merit in 2008, Italy’s Order of Merit, Commendatore, in 2011, and was named Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (OSI) by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the promotion of Italian culture worldwide. In 2025 she added another distinguished accolade to this list: France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, bestowed for her outstanding contribution to the international exchange of culture and the promotion of the arts. These honours reflect not only her peerless musicianship but also her dedication to building bridges between cultures through music.
An ardent champion of her homeland’s musical heritage, Jo has made the global promotion of Korean art song a central mission. As Artistic Director of K-Gagok Superstar - a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2024 - she mentors young artists and presents the poetry and music of Korea in their original language to audiences worldwide. Her leadership in this project has already inspired new commissions, recordings and international performances, ensuring that this distinctive repertoire earns a lasting place on the world stage.
In July 2024, the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition was launched, designed by Jo as a platform to showcase the talent of exceptional young artists from around the world and to promote their careers globally. Held in the beautiful surroundings of the Chateau de La Ferte-Imbault outside of Paris, the competition was hugely successful and will now be held biennially, the second edition scheduled for July 2026.
Approaching the 40th anniversary of her professional debut, Jo continues to expand her artistic horizons. In 2025 she embarks on a major worldwide concert tour, Bel Canto & Beyond, celebrating the milestones of her career while exploring fresh musical collaborations that reach beyond the traditional operatic sphere. She is also recording a cross-genre album at London’s legendary AIR Studios, partnering with a new generation of vocal talents and reaffirming her role as a mentor and innovator.
Jo’s discography now encompasses more than fifty solo albums released by Erato, Deutsche Grammophon and Warner Classics, many of which have achieved multimillion sales and remain benchmarks of vocal excellence. Countless live recordings and concert films circulate on major streaming platforms, inspiring singers and listeners alike. Critics across the globe continue to hail her “voice of rare luminous brilliance” and her “unfailing elegance of style,” confirming her place among the most admired artists of our time.
Beyond the concert hall, Sumi Jo serves as a United Nations cultural and peace ambassador, using music as a powerful instrument for dialogue, hope, and humanitarian awareness. Whether on the opera stage, in the recording studio, or in her philanthropic work, she embodies the belief that music can transcend borders and speak directly to the human spirit. With her extraordinary career, unwavering commitment to the arts, and newly awarded French and Italian honours, Sumi Jo stands in 2025 as a luminous symbol of artistic excellence and cultural diplomacy.
ABIGAIL SIN, piano
Singaporean pianist Abigail Sin's musical journey has taken her to concert venues across the globe, from the Aram Khachaturian concert hall in Yerevan to Wigmore Hall in London. She is the co-founder of the More Than Music concert series, which has won acclaim for its engaging, innovative presentation of classical chamber music. In 2020, More Than Music recorded the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas, along with educational outreach content.
Abigail studied with Prof Thomas Hecht at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she won the Guildhall School's Romantic Piano Prize. She won top prizes at the Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition (France), the Norah Sande Award (UK), the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (UK), and was a quarter-finalist in the Honens International Piano Competition (Canada).
As a chamber musician, Abigail won the Guildhall School's Ivan Sutton Chamber Music Award and was a finalist in the St Martin's-in-the-Fields chamber music competition and the Royal Academy of Music's Patrons Award.
Abigail is an alumnus of the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy and Yellow Barn Festival. Her artistic outlook has also been shaped by masterclasses with Leon Fleisher and coachings with composers including Thomas Ades, Jorg Widmann and Brett Dean.
A recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship, Abigail completed a PhD at the Royal Academy of Music, under the supervision of Dr Briony Cox-Williams and Prof Christopher Elton. In 2018, Abigail joined the faculty of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Recent research projects include her doctoral work on Charlles Griffes, explorations of transcription and performer agency in Ravel and Kirchner, and a multimedia collaboration confronting and reconceptualizing the Orientalist fantasy of Ravel's Asie.
GUEST ARTISTS
ANDREW BEER, violin
Singapore Symphony Orchestra's Concertmaster and GK Goh Chair, Andrew Beer has been hailed as a “virtuoso soloist” by San Francisco Classical Voice, praised for his “glorious string tone” by The Strad, and celebrated as a “musical gift” by The New York Times. His NZ-premiere performance of Ligeti’s Violin Concerto was lauded as “a consummate performance” and “one of the most exciting things I’ve heard in a while” by Radio New Zealand.
An internationally acclaimed artist, Andrew has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls across Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Americas. His performances have been broadcast globally on platforms such as NHK Japan, Medici TV, CBC Radio-Canada, WQXR New York, RNZ Concert, ABC Classic and OperaVision. A dedicated chamber musician, he has performed at renowned festivals including Music@Menlo, Prussia Cove, Banff, Orford, Domaine Forget, Tanglewood and Aspen.
Andrew performed as Concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia from 2014 to 2026. He has been invited as guest concertmaster by leading orchestras worldwide, including the CBSO (Birmingham), Hallé (Manchester), MSO (Melbourne), ASO (Adelaide), VSO (Vancouver), Opera North (Leeds), and NZSO (Wellington). From 2008 to 2014 Andrew served as an Assistant Principal 2nd Violin with the Grammy-winning Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM).
A versatile and adventurous musician, Andrew has a deep passion for contemporary music, having worked closely with leading composers including Pierre Boulez, Mario Davidovsky, György Kurtág and Steve Reich. His debut CD, 11 Frames, recorded with pianist Sarah Watkins, features works by 11 leading New Zealand composers. The album earned them the title of “Best Classical Artist of the Year” at the NZ (Aotearoa) Music Awards. Andrew recently gave the world premiere of Dame Gillian Whitehead’s Violin Concerto, Tai timu tai pari, with the NZ Herald praising him as a “fully validated virtuoso.”
Always embracing new repertoire, Andrew's recent performances of concertos by Marsalis, Szymanowski, Conus, Sinding, and Harrison have won critical acclaim.
Andrew is a founding member of Aotango, a quintet specializing in tango and world music. Aotango has toured extensively throughout Aotearoa and China, with their performance at the 2024 Shanghai Spring Festival livestreamed to over 600,000 viewers. Andrew also founded the Levansa Piano Trio, with Sarah Watkins and cellist Lev Sivkov. Both Aotango and Levansa have released albums garnering excellent reviews.
A Carnegie Hall and Juilliard School fellow, Andrew holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Stony Brook University. He has served on the selection panel of every Michael Hill International Violin Competition since 2015.
Andrew performs on a J.B. Guadagnini violin (1750) from the National Arts Council, and a Nicolas Maire bow (1855).
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CHAN YOONG HAN, viola
Chan Yoong-Han is currently the Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Rice University and the University of Massachussetts in Amherst, his principal teachers include Chan Yong Shing, Beryl Kimber, Sergiu Luca, Charles Treger, David Cerone, Kurt Sassmannshaus and Dorothy Delay.
Yoong-Han has performed solo with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Szeged Symphony of Hungary, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Youth Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers, Asia Virtuosi, SAF Chinese Orchestra and Braddell Heights Symphony in concertos by Dvorak, Lalo, Berg, JohnWilliams, Mozart, Martinu, Lutoslawski, Wieniawski, Mendelssohn and Sibelius, appearing with conductors including Lan Shui, Lim Yau, Erwin Acel, Matthias Bamert, Anthony Inglis, Han Zhong Jie, Darrell Ang, Gerard Salonga and Joshua Tan. He was invited to perform as soloist in the 2003 SSO President’s Young Performers Concert as well as the 1999 President’s Charity Concert.
As concertmaster he has led the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Festival Orchestra (SFO), The Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (MFO), Orchestra of the Music-Makers (OMM) and The Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO). As part of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2015, Yoong-Han was concertmaster of the MFO for the Sing50 concert in the National Stadium, as well as concertmaster of the OMM in its performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.
Yoong-Han has participated and performed in the Aspen Music Festival, Singapore Arts Festival, Adelaide Bach Festival, The Singapore Encore (Brussels), Cascade Head Music Festival and SSO Chamber Series, amongst others. As a chamber musician he has collaborated and performed with Andrew Litton, Christian Blackshaw, Cho-Liang Lin, William Bennett, Andreas Ottensamer, Claude Delangle, Dennis Lee, Albert Tiu, Chiao-Ying Chang, Borodin Quartet, T’ang Quartet, the Choir of King’s College (Cambridge), the Singapore Dance Theatre, Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Yoong Han is also a violist in the Take5 Piano Quintet Series since 2007.
In Singapore Yoong-Han is the recipient of the 2000 Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship and the 2004 NAC Young Artist Award. He was a member of the governing board of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and is currently on the board of re:SOUND Collective. Yoong Han has taught in the University of Massachusetts and Amherst College, and has been teaching in the School of the Arts Singapore since 2008.
Besides making music, Yoong-Han enjoys sharing life with his wife and two children.
CHO HANG-OH, cello
Cho Hang-Oh is a South Korean cellist whose career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken him across Europe, Asia, and Australia. A prizewinner of several international competitions, he received First Prize at the 2010 Korea Herald Competition, First Prize at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, and Second Prize at the Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg.
A central part of Hang-Oh’s artistic career has been his work in chamber music. He is a founding cellist of the Baum Quartet, formed in Hamburg and mentored by Prof. Niklas Schmidt. The quartet established an international reputation through a series of major competition successes, including First Prize and a Special Prize at the 2020 Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin, Second Prize at the Irene Steels-Wilsing Competition in Heidelberg, and Silver Prize at the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Verona. The ensemble was also awarded the prestigious Kulturpreis sponsored by Berenberg Bank, presented at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and received the Audience Prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. Its performances have included appearances at the Konzerthaus Berlin and live broadcasts on NDR Kultur 90.3.
Baum Quartet’s artistic collaborations have included a workshop with the renowned pianist and conductor Alfred Brendel, focusing on Mozart’s piano concertos. Beyond the quartet, Hang-Oh has maintained an active chamber music career, performing with musicians and ensembles throughout Europe and Asia.
He has been invited to prestigious festivals including the Ozawa Chamber Music Festival in 2013 and 2014, the Singapore International Music Festival in 2015 and 2016, the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival in 2016, the Mendelssohn Music Festival Hamburg in 2017, and the Musethica International Chamber Music Festival in Zaragoza in 2019. He is also the founder of the Chirea Cello Quartet, with which he undertook a concert tour of China in 2014.
His broader performing career encompasses solo, chamber, and orchestral projects. In recent years, he has continued to perform internationally while maintaining a strong connection with Singapore’s musical community. He appeared in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s 2025 production A Bug’s Life, performing the cello version of Chen Gang and He Zhanhao’s Butterfly Lovers. He has also continued to collaborate with musicians and alumni of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in chamber music performances.
Hang-Oh’s artistic development has been shaped by a distinguished group of teachers and mentors. Following his studies with Qin Li-Wei at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, he pursued solo cello studies with Prof. Troels Svane at the Musikhochschule Lübeck. He subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Chamber Music with Prof. Niklas Schmidt at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, and continued his chamber music studies with Prof. Oliver Wille at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. He later completed an Artistic Diploma with Prof. Günter Pichler at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Through his international experience as a performer, chamber musician, and educator, Hang Oh has developed an artistic profile centered on collaboration, musical communication, and chamber music. His career continues to bridge the musical traditions of Europe and Asia through performance, teaching, and artistic collaboration.
