Go behind the scenes with composer Huang Ruo, librettist David Henry Hwang, and director Diane Paulus as they discuss their newest collaboration, THE MONKEY KING (猴王悟空), with moderator Ken Smith. Commissioned by the San Francisco Opera, the work is drawn from an episode in Journey to the West (16th c.), a Ming dynasty novel that is widely considered one China’s greatest literary classics. THE MONKEY KING follows the ambition of its title character, who wreaks havoc on the heavens in a bid for immortality. Hear excerpts ahead of the production’s world premiere as part of San Francisco Opera’s fall 2025 season.

Spring 2025 Opera Series made possible by Eugene and Jean Stark.

THE MONKEY KING. Original illustration by Brian Stauffer