Probably the best coloratura soprano around at the moment, Sumi Jo has an incredibly fluent technique combined with an unusually seamless, evenly-produced voice which retains the same, round tone in all registers. Technically she is unmatchable in light coloratura repertoire, and in particular she has virtually monopolised the role of the Queen of the Night in recent recordings of Die Zauberflöte. She is also excellent in Rossini, in roles such as the Comtesse Adèle (Le Comte Ory) and Amenaide (Tancredi).

She has sometimes been accused of a lack of temperament, but this seems to be less and less the case as time goes on. Whereas she is not the most dramatic of performers, she does sing with a pleasing amount of feeling, and isn't merely an automaton.

Although she is primarily a bel canto specialist, Sumi Jo has tackled roles from a wide range of operatic styles and languages, including Olympia in Les Contes d'Hoffman, Constance in Dialogues des Carmelites, Zerbinetta and Oscar. More recently she has undertaken some more surprising choices, including Giulietta from Hoffman - generally considered a mezzo role - and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, a role which I think most people would agree she is too light for. Also, judging from her recording of Konstanze's Martern aller Arten on a recent recital disc, it is not a role which shows off her skills to their best advantage anyway.