Besides Korean actors and singers, China’s THAAD retaliation policy continues to add more victims, with Grammy Award winner Korean soprano Sumi Jo who was not allowed to hold concerts on March 25 the latest addition.
The New York Times reported that on Sunday, three orchestras scheduled to perform with Sumi Jo came out with separate, but apparently coordinated notices published on their WeChat official accounts that they would no longer perform with the veteran coloratura soprano. The Shanghai Symphony and Guangzhou Symphony did not explain the reason for the cancellation of her participation in the concerts.
Forced to Withdraw
But the China Philharmonic in Beijing said Sumi Jo and Min Chung, a South Korean conductor, were forced to withdraw from the concert for specific reasons. She would be replaced by Ying Huang, a Chinese soprano, for the concerts in Shanghai and Guangzhou, while soprano Liping Zhang will replace her for the Beijing concert and Min Chung by Yang Yang, a Chinese conductor.
Another March concert in Guizhou Province by Kun-woo Paik, a South Korean pianist, and the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra was also suddenly cancelled on Wednesday.
Other Concerts
But Sumi Jo’s concert on Feb. 3 and 4 in Hong Kong would push through. The cancellation of her China’s performance, though, hardly affects the Korean soprano’s tight schedule. On Jan. 31, she is among the performers at the 6th annual Chinese New Year Concert and Gala of the New York Philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Center. Besides Sumi Jo, the other performers are trumpeter Alison Balsom, principal flute Robert Langevin, New York Philharmonic concert master Frank Huang, with Long Yu as conductor, according to Yahoo Finance.
On Feb. 7, Sumi Jo performs for the second time in Manila at the Meralco Theater, Inquirer reported. Pianist Najib Ismail would accompany the Korean soprano.