Thursday, January 30, 2020

SFO Summer Season Cast Change: Eun Sun Kim conducts Ernani


Eun Sun Kim, SFO Opera Music Director Designate
Photo: Nikolaj Lund


James Gaffigan has withdrawn from his June engagement conducting Verdi's Ernani at San Francisco Opera, "for family reasons." Replacing him: Music Director Designate Eun Sun Kim!

I was a lot more impressed with Kim's Rusalka than with Gaffigan's Carmen last June, so this is just fine with me. I see no other updates in the press release on the summer season.

Regarding Ernani, it's a terrific piece, with pre-echoes of Don Carlo. SFO hasn't performed it in 30 years or so, so go see it while you can. I've seen it once, in an overly-polite performance 16 years ago at ENO, and I suspect this will be less polite, in a good way.

4 comments:

nobleviola said...

We just had Ms. Kim here in Oregon conducting her debut with the OSO, and she was very well-liked. Hoping to see her back soon!

Lisa Hirsch said...

I gather that EVERYBODY at SFO liked her a lot, in and out of the orchestra, and that's why they hired her, not to mention, her Rusalka was fantastic, I think better than the one I'd heard Susanna Mälkki conducted in Paris.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Anyway, she'll be spending a lot of time on the West Coast of the US, so you may vey well be seeing her again.

oboeinsight.com said...

Oh this is wonderful news! I was highly impressed by her Rusalka. Just saw other news of a conductor replacment with another performing group that had me sad, so I am delighted to read this to make up for that!