Shinji Eshima has played as a bassist in the SF Opera and SF Ballet orchestras for over 45 years. He has served on the faculties of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, SF State University, and SF School of the Arts, and has composed 3 ballets commissioned by SF Ballet, including RAkU, which was later made into a documentary film. Eshima has curated, composed, recorded, and performed in numerous performances pieces across all genres of art, with the city of Berkeley designating a day in his honor for his contributions to the local art community.
In his latest work, Eshima is producing a documentary film revealing human goodness in music across all genres, including jazz, rock, folk, classical, and opera. Working with maestro Sir Donald Runnicles, the film uses Richard Strauss’s’ Die Frau ohne Schatten as its framework, where at its climax, the empress shouts “I will not!” do what is morally wrong after witnessing true human goodness and love.
