Korean soprano Sumi Jo launches her own international singing competition

The first edition of the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition is set to take place at the Chateau de la Ferte in France from July 7 to 13, the organizing committee said Tuesday.

It’s the first time for renowned soprano Sumi Jo to launch a competition in her name. It is also unprecedented for a competition named after a Korean classical musician to be held overseas.

The Sumi Jo International Singing Competition will be held every two years with the aim of discovering budding musicians with potential and promoting them on the global stage.

Vocal music students between the ages of 18 to 32 who dream of becoming opera stars are allowed to apply.

The preliminary round will be based on video evaluations. Those interested can participate in an offline evaluation in Korea and China, where Jo will be part of the judging panel.

Twenty-four contestants will be chosen to take part in the competition, in which they will then have to compete to make it to the final round of nine. The top three win prizes.

The first place winner will receive 50,000 euros ($54,200), second will get 20,000 euros and third will get 10,000 euros. They will also be invited to perform at Jo’s concert later on.

Applications are open until May 4 via the competition’s official website. The entry fee is 50 euros.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]