On November 10, 2026, one of the most significant voices in the world of classical music will take the stage at the Vienna Musikverein: Korean soprano Sumi Jo—dubbed a “voice from heaven” by Herbert von Karajan himself—is celebrating her 40th stage anniversary with a new tour.
Sumi Jo
Born in 1962 in Changwon, South Korea, Sumi Jo has for decades been one of the world’s most influential lyric coloratura sopranos. Her 1986 debut as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste marked the beginning of her career. Under the aegis of Herbert von Karajan, she was cast as the page Oscar in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera in 1989; following Karajan’s passing during the rehearsal period, she performed the role at the Salzburg Festival under the baton of Georg Solti. A series of triumphs on the world’s greatest stages followed—from the Metropolitan Opera in New York and La Scala in Milan to the Vienna State Opera.
Whether in roles such as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti), Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss), or the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, her technically flawless voice has established her as the undisputed “prima donna assoluta” of the coloratura repertoire. In 1993, she received a Grammy Award for her contribution to Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow), conducted by Georg Solti—becoming the first Asian singer to win in this category.
Sumi Jo has bridged genres and cultures, as evidenced by her performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and her contributions to film soundtracks—such as those for Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate (1999) and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth (2015), for which her track “Simple Song #3” earned an Oscar nomination. In 2023, she was honored with the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, South Korea’s highest cultural distinction.
“Mad for Love”: A Jubilee Concert of the Highest Caliber
With “Mad for Love,” Sumi Jo—joined by soloists Lidia Baich (violin), Andrea Götsch (clarinet), and Andrey Vinichenko (piano)—presents a program in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein that reflects her full artistic range: from classical arias and Baroque gems to contemporary works. The concert is not only a tribute to her four decades on stage, but also an invitation to experience the magic of her voice live—a voice that Le Monde once described as “so perfect that even fairies would listen to it.”
The Soloists
Lidia Baich
Born in Leningrad in 1981, Lidia Baich won the Eurovision Young Musicians competition in 1998 at the age of just 16 and was named “European Musician of the Year” by Yehudi Menuhin himself. She performs worldwide with renowned orchestras and at festivals—including the Wiener Festwochen and the Salzburg Festival—and holds a professorship at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK).
Andrea Götsch
Hailing from South Tyrol, Andrea Götsch is a clarinetist with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, as well as the artistic director of the Ehrphilharmonie Wien. An emerging conductor, she made her debut in 2023 and has already performed in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. A prize-winner at various national and international competitions, she is also active as a soloist and chamber musician.
Andrey Vinichenko
Russian-born pianist Andrey Vinichenko, who now resides in Berlin, began his musical career at the age of seven playing the violin before switching to the piano. He studied at the Far East Arts Academy (Russia) and the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg. Vinichenko is a prize-winner of the 10th International Music Competition in Osaka and performs as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe and Asia.
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Concert Details
Date: November 10, 2026, 7:30 PM
Venue: Golden Hall, Musikverein Vienna
Program:
- Gaetano Donizetti
Chacun le sait (from La Fille du régiment)
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Antonio Vivaldi
Sposa, son disprezzata (from *Bajazet*)
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Adolphe Adam
Mozart Variations on “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman”
Sumi Jo, Lidia Baich & Andrey Vinichenko
- Eva Dell’Acqua
Villanelle
Sumi Jo, Andrea Götsch & Andrey Vinichenko
- Ernesto Cavallini
Adagio e Tarantella
Andrea Götsch & Andrey Vinichenko
- Johann Strauss II
Hommage à Johann Strauss
Lidia Baich & Andrey Vinichenko
- Johann Strauss II
Wo die Zitronen blüh’n
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Darius Milhaud
Suite, Op. 157b for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Andrea Götsch, Lidia Baich & Andrey Vinichenko
- Lim Geung-su
As Spring Comes Across the River
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Hong Nan-pa
Azaleas
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Lee Heung-ryeol
Amidst a Cloud of Blossoms
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
- Béla Kovács
Sholem Alekhem, Rov Feidman!
Andrea Götsch & Andrey Vinichenko
- Richard Wagner
Albumblatt
Lidia Baich & Andrey Vinichenko
- Vincenzo Bellini
Casta Diva (from Norma)
Sumi Jo & Andrey Vinichenko
