Jo will be awarded the Commander's medal of the Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of her contributions to French art.
Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture, the prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made "significant contributions to the arts and literature both in France and internationally."
Jo will be the second South Korean to receive the top honor, following conductor Chung Myung-whun in 2011. Other previous South Korean recipients of the lower-ranked Officer's medal include the late actress Yoon Jung-hee, filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, painter Kim Tschang-yeul, and jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on May 26.
After making her debut in Italy in 1986 with Verdi's masterpiece "Rigoletto," Jo quickly rose to fame worldwide, with legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan praising her as "a voice from heaven."
Jo, who regularly performs at major venues around the world, has reportedly been tied up with a packed year-round schedule.
Last year, Jo hosted her namesake singing competition for the first time at a historic castle in central France. Set to be held every two years, the event is the first international vocal contest abroad named after a South Korean artist.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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