Opera director Ahn Joo-eun has built a remarkable international career that began with a bold decision to leave Italy for Russia in 2000, ultimately leading her to become a cultural ambassador who connects Korea with the world through music. The 44-year-old director, who has helmed over 350 opera productions, recently spoke about her journey from vocal student to internationally recognized opera director during an interview in Seoul.
Ahn's path to opera directing began unexpectedly when she left the prestigious Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome after just one year to study vocal music at a university in Novosibirsk, a city in central Russia. "I didn't let my parents know that I was leaving Italy. And I kept it like that for two years," Ahn revealed, explaining that her desire was to seek independence from her family. This seemingly random decision would later prove foundational to her career as she developed the linguistic and cultural skills that now enable her to work across international boundaries.
Upon arriving in the Russian city over two decades ago, Ahn faced the immediate challenge of not speaking a word of Russian. "I didn't leave my room for three days until I had memorized the alphabet," she recalled, demonstrating the determination that would characterize her career. She quickly pushed herself to learn the language and took various side jobs to support herself, including working as an interpreter for Orion, the Korean snack company famous for Choco Pies, where she assisted Korean staff overseeing factory operations in Novosibirsk.
A life-changing medical crisis in her final year at university redirected Ahn's career from performing to directing. While preparing for her graduation recital, she fell gravely ill and slipped into a coma for 20 days. "I had pneumonia, asthma and tuberculosis at the same time and I even had a nodule removed from my neck," she recalled. When doctors told her to stop singing, she faced what seemed like "the end of the world" for a vocalist. However, instead of giving up on music entirely, Ahn sought alternative paths and contacted a local opera house in Novosibirsk, where she landed a job as an assistant director. "That marked the beginning of my career as a director," she said. She later moved to the United States to earn a doctorate in opera directing.
By 2024, Ahn's expertise had grown to encompass cultural diplomacy when she was selected to organize the Korea-Italy diplomatic concert commemorating the 140th anniversary of Korea-Italy diplomatic relations. The concert, titled "The Sound of the World Becoming One," brought together nearly 200 musicians from both countries in a diverse program that included opera arias, Italian canzone, Korean traditional music, and dance. "It was a great show," Ahn recalled, noting how the event opened new international opportunities for her work.
The success of the diplomatic concert led to prestigious invitations from Italy's Sicily region, where Ahn directed two of Verdi's masterpieces, "La Traviata" and "Aida," at the historic Teatro Antico di Taormina in May and August of this year. Her international reach expanded further as she organized anniversary events for the Mongolian and Kyrgyz embassies in Seoul in April, followed by directing Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" at the National Opera Theater in Ulaanbaatar in June.
Ahn views her work as extending beyond traditional opera directing into the realm of cultural diplomacy. "Where I work is where Korea is," she reflected on her role in organizing concerts to mark diplomatic milestones. "Music is more powerful than language. I believe what I do is a form of diplomacy." This philosophy continues to guide her upcoming projects, including another Korea-Mongolia concert scheduled for November 25 in Seoul, which she will also direct.
In addition to her directorial responsibilities, Ahn is preparing to return to the stage as a performer. On November 15 and 16, she will take on the role of Genghis Khan's mother in the opera "Genghis Khan" in Mongolia, composed by leading Mongolian composer Byambasuren Sharav. "Knowing that I am a trained mezzo-soprano, even though I'm not in perfect vocal shape, they gave me this chance. I'm grateful and I'll give it my best," she said.
As an opera director, Ahn describes her work as comprehensive and detail-oriented. "From the singers' movements to stage lighting, I have to know and instruct everything. When I have a project coming up, I'm constantly thinking about every detail," she explained. To fuel her creativity, she draws inspiration from films, maintaining a habit of watching one movie every day. Her all-time favorites include "The Intern" (2015), "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006), and "Eat, Pray, Love" (2010), which help inform her artistic vision and approach to storytelling through opera.
