Qhis edition of La Boheme it is a celebration (it was set up for La Scala exactly 60 years ago by Franco Zeffirelliwhose centenary of birth occurs in 2023) and those who understand Puccini’s masterpiece arrive on the podium of the Milanese theater: Eun Sun Kimthe conductor Korean who made his conducting debut in Frankfurt in 2012 with the story of Rodolfo and Mimì. Tickets have been sold out for weeks, but there’s a chance for everyone: the March 14 performance will be broadcast live on the newly formed Verona television.
“I played by ear”
Eun Sun Kim (Kim Tae-hwan photo).
“Actually, I started studying it in 2002, for a university setup,” he specifies 42-year-old Eun Sun, director of theSan Francisco Operain fluent Italian (but he also speaks English, German, Spanish and French: «Music is a universal language but if you understand the words of the opera it helps you»). But his path at the time was not yet marked, quite the contrary.
The K-pop Phenomenon
«I started taking piano lessons when I was 3-4: my mother – who loved to sing (all of us Koreans are crazy about singing, as evidenced by the K-pop phenomenon) – he had noticed that I could imitate things heard on the radio, without knowing the score. I loved playing, but at home or, at most, to accompany the church choir: I was terrified of the stage, at 15 I already knew I didn’t want to become a professional pianist».
“Thanks to my mentors”
The turning point? “In high school the music teacher asked who could play for the class. I shyly raised my hand: “I can play a little”. She found me good and asked me: why don’t you specialize? I explained to her that I had stage fright. “Then why don’t you focus on composition?”. I didn’t even know that there was this subject at university… There was the second one sliding door: I accompanied my mates on the piano for the production of the Bohème and a professor noticed certain qualities of mine and prompted me to go and perfect myself in Germany (as was already my programme) but in conducting, not in composition… I’ve always had mentors who discovered something about me that I didn’t even know. I thank them very much. I left Seoul thinking: let’s see how it goes».
“The secret? Have fun”
Eun Sun Kim (photo Tae-ukKang).
It went well. “I had a lot of fun, and I think the most important thing is to have fun,” says the sunny director, who alternates her words with frequent laughs. How would Freud explain stage fright, but not podium fear? (laughs again) “Strange, I realize, that she’s not nervous. But I don’t know why. Maybe because that’s just the final moment? My profession is largely about helping musicians do their best work in rehearsals, because the sound comes from the orchestra, not from me. If I move my hands and no one follows me, there’s no sound. The first thing they taught me in this profession was the importance of humility».
But why are male directors still 79 percent? “Really, again? Mah… Leadership – in music as in politics or business – has always been predominantly male, but the world is changing, and our potential is improving in every field. At one time – to be honest – I avoided talking about gender issues. I managed by reiterating: I was born a woman, I don’t know what it would change to be a man… But then I thought about it: when artists leave, especially in the United States, there are many people waiting for me, wanting to talk to me and repeating me that seeing a woman on the podium is inspirational… So why not talk about the profession so that the new generations will see that it is possible?».
“Call me Eun Sun”
“La Bohème” at the Teatro alla Scala until 26 March (photo Brescia and Amisano).
In fact, there is a saying in pro-female empowerment America: “If you can see it, you can become it.” But let’s get to the terminology: Master or Teacher? «I know that among you there is the question why the teacher is the primary school teacher… In Spain “Maestra” comes naturally. In Germany you go with “Mrs. Kim” (Daniel Barenboim is also “Mr. Barenboim”). In the US they ask me: “Do you prefer Teacher or Teacher? And I: “Call me Eun Sun, please, she is my name”.
Ah, the self-criticism
Eun Sun Kim (photo Nikolaj Lund).
Dreams to come true? (sigh) «Living while having fun, and being able to tell myself in the evening: ok, it was a good day. And by “have a nice day” I don’t mean that she was super happy, but that it made me satisfied with myself. Before going to sleep I always analyze how it went, what I did, how I spoke, what the test was like, I ask myself what went wrong as I wanted, what to do next time…».
I hope that sometimes you get compliments. «Mhmmm… hardly ever. I’m quite self-critical (laughs). Not because she never feels good to me, but because I am aware that one can always do better ».
iO Woman © REPRODUCTION RESERVED