Soprano Sumi Jo answers questions from the audience during a guest visit (GV) event for the film “Maria” at Megabox COEX in Seoul on April 19. Courtesy of Pancinema

“Next year, it will be 40 years since I made my debut on the international stage,” said world-renowned Korean soprano Sumi Jo, 63, “I’ve resolved to continue singing not just for 40 or 50 years, but up to 100 years.”

Speaking at a guest visit (GV) event for the film “Maria” at Megabox COEX in Seoul on April 19, Jo said, “Seeing how short the peak of my role model Maria Callas’ career was made me take things more seriously.” The film “Maria,” which was released in Korea on April 16, is a biopic about the life and death of 20th-century opera legend and “diva” Maria Callas.

“Opera can almost be divided into the periods before and after Callas,” Jo said. “The interest in her from all over the world, even from people who don't know opera or classical music, has been incredible.”

Maria Callas, dubbed the “Diva of the Century," enjoyed immense fame during a relatively brief peak. She captivated the world during a golden period that lasted barely over a decade before passing away from a heart attack at the age of 53. One of those enchanted by her was a teenage girl in war-torn Korea who dreamed of becoming a diva after hearing Callas sing on the radio. That girl was Jo’s mother, who, unable to realize her dream in a country lacking even basic infrastructure, passed her dream on to her daughter.

“I was tired of hearing Callas’ songs even before I was born because my mother played them while I was in her womb,” Jo joked, adding, “My destiny was already decided from the moment I was born.” She said, “From the age of four, I was an extremely busy child. I played piano, studied vocal music, ballet, traditional dance, figure skating, and even did speech competitions. My mother always emphasized that an opera singer needed to master all these to stand on stage.”

Her mother’s dream came true. In 1988, legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan met Jo during an audition for Giuseppe VerdiS “Un Ballo in Maschera” and described her voice as “a once-in-a-century gift from God.”

Jo said, “I was eerily surprised by the similarities between Callas and me.” She explained, “Such as the fact that I love animals and once wanted to be a veterinarian, while she wanted to be a dentist, that she was closer to his dad than her mom, and that she sang for the fans who loved her, in addition to her focus on music.”

During her impoverished student days in Italy, Jo named a dog she received for free “Jackie” after Callas’ elder sister, out of admiration for the soprano. Even at the GV event, Jo wore a black dress reminiscent of Callas’s signature stage attire and said she spent three hours doing her hair and makeup.

Callas’ life also served as a cautionary tale for Jo. Callas famously fell in love with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, indulging in lavish yacht parties and eventually spiraling into alcohol, smoking, and drug use after he betrayed her.

“A singer’s body is an instrument,” Jo said. “It’s a profession that demands immense self-discipline and self-care.” Reflecting on Callas; life, she said, “I told myself, ‘I don’t want to live like that. I’m going to stay on stage not just for 40 or 50 years, but for 100 years.’”

This was Jo’s first appearance as a guest at a film GV event in her 40-year international career. Yet, she continues to take on new challenges. In July 2023, she launched the first Sumi Jo Vocal Competition in Paris, France. In June this year, she will host a concert titled “The Magic, Sumi Jo & Winners” featuring the competition’s laureates.

The GV events for “Maria” will continue with other notable guests including popera star tenor Lim Hyung-joo, violinist Cho Yoon-beom, and Cheon Seon-ran, author of the novel behind the musical “A Thousand Blues.”