San Francisco Opera Releases Backstage Footage of Wagner’s “Lohengrin”

Titled “Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin,” the hour-long film takes viewers behind the scenes of SF Opera’s production of “Lohengrin” in 2023

Created alongside Lumahai Productions, the San Francisco Opera has released Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin, a new hour-long film of behind the scenes footage of the weeks of rehearsal leading up to the opening of Wagner’s 1850 opera Lohengrin at SF Opera in October 2023. 

Directed by Elena Park, the film follows the production team and artists, led by SF Opera’s Music Director Eun Sun Kim. The cast features tenor Simon O’Neill (Lohengrin) and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson (King Heinrich), as well as soprano Julie Adams (Elsa), mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi (Ortrud), and baritone Brian Mulligan (Telramund). 

Highlights of Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin include discussions on how the cast members paced themselves to maintain endurance throughout Lohengrin, while the orchestra musicians detailed their technical, physical and musical challenges within a pit of 71 instrumentalists.

The film also touches on the artists’ channeling of Wagnerian-scaled emotions in their performances, as well as the logistical elements of Lohengrin, including stage management, Chorus coordination, the hidden prompter, and the trumpet players positioned across the Opera House for dramatic effect.

Additionally, Kim discusses her formative opera experiences, her collaboration with the artists and audience, and her appointment as Music Director of SF Opera in 2019. 

“Opera houses are extraordinary communities of creators, working together in complete synergy across so many areas of artistic and technical focus,” said SF Opera’s General Director, Matthew Shilvock in the press release. “This film beautifully encapsulates the interconnectedness of an opera house at work, taking us into aspects of the creative process rarely seen. It is a joy to take this journey with Eun Sun Kim and to experience her unbridled devotion to producing artistry of the very highest level. She is carrying forth the tradition of excellence that has defined our company for over a hundred years, and this film gives a unique glimpse into her amazing creative vision.”

“With Eun Sun Kim at the center of the complexity, it was fascinating to see the puzzle pieces come together for this epic work,” added Director and Executive Producer and head of Lumahai Productions, Elena Park. “Our hope is that the film illuminates what it takes for her and hundreds of people to pull off something like Lohengrin — a remarkable feat with parallels to sports and other pursuits — and the passion and dedication of an entire company in the pursuit of something transcendent.”

The film can now be streamed here and on YouTube (above). The film will also be broadcast on KQED 9 on November 1, 2024 at 8 PM.