[Features-reporter] A new chapter for Korean Opera: World premiere of "The Rising World: Spirit of Water"

Eun-Hee I heard you went to the press conference for the new opera, "The Rising World: Spirit of Water."

What happens when a Korean princess, a mystical water spirit, and a visionary artisan meet on an opera stage?

That’s right, Soa.

Doesn't it sound interesting?

This English production is Seoul Arts Center’s first-ever original opera and is aiming to captivate the Korean and global audience.

It's set to make its world premiere in May, so that's very soon.

Let's take a closer look.

Something new is coming to the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea.

This May, SAC will debut its first-ever original opera, "The Rising World: Spirit of Water."

Blending traditional Korean themes with a modern twist, the English-language production marks a major milestone, created entirely in-house, from story to music.

Blending Eastern and Western cultures, the opera tells the story of a princess captivated by a water spirit and a female artisan who builds a water clock to save a kingdom plagued by constant water disasters.

The cast features internationally acclaimed opera singers, including South Korean soprano Hwang Su-mi, as the princess and mezzo-soprano Kim Jung-mi as the artisan.

"I would say that the work portrays a human being, regardless of gender, who engages with nature, particularly through the element we call 'water.' It explores the relationship between humanity and nature."

The element of water is expressed in many ways throughout the music.

The opera's composer, Australian Mary Finsterer, explains that while you might hear it through electroacoustic sounds or a special instrument called a waterphone, the feeling of water mostly comes through the orchestra’s instrumentation and the flowing ornamentation in the vocal lines.

The show will have its world premiere at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera House on May 25, followed by performances on May 29 and 31.

The creative team boasts international talent, including conductor Steven Osgood, praised for his work at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, leading the Korean National Symphony Orchestra.

"It's our window into the imagination of the composer and librettist. I get pages, hundreds of pages of music. But what it is on the page is dots of ink. And what Mary has done is sit in her studio and imagine a sound world that nobody has heard yet."

Those pages, filled with countless notes, are a world the conductor steps into.

He waters it and breathes life into it so the music can finally reach our ears.

Now, it’s the audience’s turn to step into that imagined world, and fully experience an opera like a powerful fairytale, one that flows with a message we can all feel.

It sounds like a fairytale, but with a much deeper message.

Could you dive a little deeper for us?

Definitely.

The opera integrates some elements of Korean culture, though the production team approached this with care, keeping in mind that it's not their own culture.

Through their research, they discovered Korea's rich mythology, including how closely attached ghosts and the symbolic power of water are to Korean culture.

That led them to settling on water ghost, but they said rather than representing one tradition, they focused on building a universal story, one that explores humanity’s connection with nature and our shared responsibility to protect it.

It really sounds like a remarkable production and a bold new chapter for Korean theater.

Creating an original opera from scratch is no small feat, especially when everything from the story to the score is built entirely in-house. Are there plans to take it to international audiences as well?

Yes, global expansion is very much part of the plan.

Representatives from international venues including Taiwan’s National Taichung Theatre, the Sydney Opera House, and Tokyo’s New National Theatre are expected to attend the premiere.

Of those, discussions with the Taiwan have already made notable progress and they are aiming for 2027.

That's exciting to hear.

If the international venues are already showing interest, it really speaks to the production’s potential beyond Korea.

Thank you Eun-hee for sharing.

Yes thank you Eun-hee for the story.

Thank you, it was my pleasure.