Sumi Jo in Manila

Soprano Sumi Jo

Featuring:

Sumi Jo, soprano

John Raymond Sarreal, flute

Najib Ismail, piano

Programme:

Henry Bishop Lo! Here the Gentle Lark from the Comedy of Errors

Antonio Vivaldi Sposa son disprezzata from Bajazet

George Frideric Handel Lascia, ch’Io pianga from Giulio Cesare in Egitto

Adolphe Adam Ah! vous dirai-je, maman from Le toréador

Jean-Paul-Égide Martini Plaisir d’amour

Léo Delibes Chanson espagnole

Eva Dell’Acqua Villanelle

Johann Strauss Jr. The Beautiful Blue Danube

Michael William Balfe I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Hall from The Bohemian Girl

George Gershwin Summertime from Porgy and Bess

Franz Lehár Vilja Song from The Merry Widow

Frederick Loewe I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady

Jung-Joon Ahn Ari Arirang

Sergei Rachmaninoff Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14

Giuseppe Verdi Ah fors'è lui… Sempre libera from La Traviata

Korean soprano superstar Sumi Jo’s one night concert at the Samsung Hall at the SM Aura Premier was the most happening night in town with classical/opera music lovers and a large number of Koreans showing up in full force. The concert resulted in a memorable night that showcased Sumi Jo’s incredible vocals despite the venue’s acoustics that had a lot to be desired.

Sumi Jo performed a selection of love songs and arias in different styles and languages, accompanied by pianist Najib Ismail and joined in a couple of numbers by flutist John Raymond Sarreal. No matter where the audience came from, there was something for them during that night as Sumi Jo serenaded the audience with arias like Giuseppe Verdi’s Ah fors'è lui… Sempre libera from La Traviata which had me marveling over how she managed reach that high E flat with such ease and control. Some members of the audience who weren’t familiar with the opera arias she performed were glad that she included more familiar tunes like Frederick Loewe’s I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady, George Gershwin’s Summertime from Porgy and Bess, Johann Strauss Jr’s. The Beautiful Blue Danube, and the crowd pleasing Ah! vous dirai-je, maman from Le toreador by Adolphe Adam that featured the well known twinkle, twinkle little star melody.

I was literally surrounded by Koreans on that night and I took note on how pleased they were when Sumi Jo performed Jung-Joon Ahn’s Ari Arirang. I noticed that some were even to the point of tears. The Korean who was seated at my right asked me how I got to know Sumi Jo. I got the impression that it was a surprise for them to find out that non-Koreans do know who Sumi Jo is.

As always, the audience didn’t let Sumi Jo get off stage that quickly and demanded encores from her. Her encores were O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini which she dedicated to her late father and Ave Maria by Franz Schubert which she dedicated to the survivors of the super typhoon Yolanda. When the people still asked for more, she then said that she wanted to sing in Korean that had the Koreans in the audience shouting their suggestions. She then settled for Boribat by Young-Ha Yoon but her pianist Najib had no clue as to what that piece was. And what was probably the biggest surprise of the evening; Sumi Jo took over piano duties (Najib could only look on the side) and accompanied herself while encouraging the Koreans in the audience to sing along with her.

The concert could’ve been a truly magical moment for me but I couldn’t help but notice how unsuitable the Samsung Hall was for a concert of this kind. The hall wasn’t built acoustically so Sumi Jo had to use a microphone for amplification and this somehow didn’t enable her to show everyone how awesome her vocal projection really is. I also had the misfortune in seating among the seats that malfunctioned a few times that night. There were times when it felt like the seats in our row were collapsing, throwing me and my seatmates forward. Korean Ambassador Hyuk Lee was seated right behind us and he, along with his seatmates, tried to figure out what went wrong with our seats. For a performance venue that held such promise and looked very impressive from the outside, it turned out to be such a huge let down after my experience with this concert.

A day after the concert, I had another opportunity to see Sumi Jo once again when she conducted a vocal masterclass at St. Scholastica’s College. I was able to see the humorous side of her as she instructed four very lucky (and very star struck) students. She didn’t hold back anything whenever she didn’t like what she heard. But when she did, she rewarded the students generously like tenor Nomher Nival who got a kiss in the cheek from her when he finally got a tricky passage right.

Sumi Jo in Manila was presented by Cultural Arts Events Organizer (CAEO) in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center, Edsa Shangri-la Hotel Manila, Lyric Piano, DZFE.FM The Master's Touch and BusinessWorld.