Soprano Esther Song is LA BOHEME’s Musetta

On a freezing Christmas Eve, love sparks. Two hands meet in the dark and four friends’ lives change forever.

When Mimì meets Rodolfo, it’s love at first touch. They head out to bustling Café Momus, where the feisty Musetta and Marcello rekindle their relationship. But even the deepest love can’t warm a freezing winter. The Bohemians have some growing up to do.

The story of La Bohème has been thrilling audiences since its premiere in 1896. The story of four struggling bohemians has been presented and adapted countless times, and is now returning to the Sydney Opera House in a beautifully recontextualised production. Be transported back to 1930s Berlin and experience La Bohéme like you never have before.

Taking over the role of Musetta from February 11th is acclaimed soprano Esther Song.

Korean-born Australian Rising star soprano Esther is one of Opera Australia’s fine Principal Artists. Having graduated her Master degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019, she soon made her successful debut with her beautiful voice at the iconic Sydney Opera House early 2022 as a principal role Princess Eudoxie from La Juive. Her operatic roles includes Musetta in La Boheme, Princess Eudoxie in La Juive, Micaëla & Frasquita in Carmen, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Queen of the night from The Magic Flute, Donna Anna from Don Giovanni, Tirésias from Les Mamelles de Tirésias.

What made you decide to train in Opera?

Esther: While I was undertaking a postgraduate degree in Vocal Studies I saw Opera Australia’s production of Carmen at the Sydney Opera House. This was the first time I really enjoyed watching an opera! The great music, passionate singing and striking staging sparked the dream inside me to be on stage as an Opera Singer. Then I made my decision to transfer to study a Masters in Opera Studies.

What is the most challenging part of singing Opera?

Esther: The first thing that comes to my mind is how much careful maintenance is needed for singers as our body itself is our instrument. One of the most vulnerable and fragile instruments – sickness is one thing and also psychology, we can be quite affected. Singing is a real sport and to put this with acting and sometimes crazy staging is very difficult! In Act II of Opera Australia’s production of La Bohème, Musetta sings her aria while on a revolving stage. Walking or almost dancing on this while singing looks so easy until you’ve been on one! Julie Lea Goodwin and I share the role of Musetta for this season and we sweat by the end of this aria!

And the most exciting?

Esther: Being able to expose all our talents on stage with the presence of an audience is very exciting and fulfilling! I really enjoy the interaction between the characters on stage, conductor along with the orchestra and sharing the emotion with the audience through the music. I’ve always loved singing, dancing and acting. Being able to do these things I love as a job is a dream come true!!

Musetta marks your role debut – do you see any of yourself in the character?

Esther: I do definitely see some of myself in Musetta’s character; when I was in my early 20’s – full of confidence, quite an extrovert, warm but fiery at times and a little mean to men! Musetta is however much more interesting to play as she has more depth than me who had grown up in a stable family in the 21st Century.

How have you found touring with your husband?

Esther: I thank God immensely that I work in what I most love doing with my husband who also shares the love for singing. My first opera work with OA was performing in the Carmen National Tour. This was called the “mega-tour”, being twice as long in duration as the year before had been cancelled due to the COVID outbreak. Being on tour is very fun as you can imagine, but can also at times be tough physically and sometimes mentally draining. Fortunately I was very lucky to have my husband by my side and we supported each other when one was under the weather!

La Bohème was written over 120 years ago – Why do you think audiences still love it?

Esther: Have you ever seen a couple fight on the street and wondered what they would be fighting about? The two main couples that show love romance vs fiery but sickly in love is already so much fun to watch! Both types of love and the portrayal of friendships between characters show the unchanging nature of the human instincts of greed and selfishness until one is hit by an unfortunate event – Mimì’s death. We sometimes forget how neglectful and ungrateful we are to those that love us and who we love most until something bad happens. One of the biggest reasons people love La Bohème would be the incredibly moving music, along with the libretto in Puccini’s La Bohème which appeals to audiences from any timeline. The libretto was brought from Muger’s novel which relates directly to his real-life experience – poverty/sickness/pursuing dreams/love, all of which people can relate to today.

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La Bohème is playing now at the Sydney Opera House.

For tickets and more information, visit the Opera Australia website.