Sumi Jo, a renowned South Korean lyric coloratura soprano, was born on November 22, 1962, in Changwon, South Korea. Her mother, an amateur singer and pianist, was determined to provide her daughter with opportunities she never had. She enrolled Jo in piano lessons at the age of 4 and voice lessons at the age of 6, and even bought a piano for her to play despite living in a rented property.
Jo's mother raised and trained her strictly, often locking the door outside to prevent Jo from playing truant. As a child, Jo would spend up to eight hours a day studying music. She entered the Sun Hwa Arts School in 1976 and graduated in 1980, receiving dual diplomas in voice and piano.
Jo then entered the department of vocal music at Seoul National University (SNU) in 1981, where she continued her music studies until 1983. During this time, she made her professional recital debut, appeared in several concerts with the Korean Broadcasting System, and made her professional operatic debut as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Seoul Opera.
In 1983, Jo left SNU to study at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she was taught by renowned singers Carlo Bergonzi and Giannella Borelli. She graduated in 1985 with majors in keyboard and voice. Following graduation, Jo began to study with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and won several international competitions.
In 1986, Jo made her European operatic debut as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste. This performance drew the attention of Herbert von Karajan, who cast her as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera opposite Plácido Domingo for the 1989 Salzburg Festival.
