ABOUT
A Warning from Water, A World Out of Balance
A once-prosperous kingdom falls into chaos, cursed by an unexplained water disaster. As endless rain pours and lakes overflow, the King’s only heir, The Princess, becomes gravely ill, trapped in isolation. Ancient royal records speak of The Water Ghost, a being that disrupts the world’s balance by taking over human bodies.
As a last hope, the royal court calls upon The Artisan and The Apprentice to create The Water Clock, a magical timepiece that could save The Princess. The Rising World: Spirit of Water is a groundbreaking English-language opera that follows two strong female protagonists, bridging tradition and modernity, East and West. Using the universal themes of water and time, the opera tells a powerful and emotional story that resonates across cultures.
SYNOPSIS
CHARACTERS
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- The Princess
- The King’s only daughter, possessed by The Water Ghost, throwing the kingdom into chaos.
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- The Artisan
- A master of The Water Clock, who takes great risks to save The Princess and restore balance to the kingdom
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- The Apprentice
- The Artisan’s disciple and successor, who discovers growth and responsibility throughout the journey.
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- The King
- The ruler of the kingdom and father of The Princess, struggling to save both his daughter and his realm.
SYNOPSIS
The Water Clock: A New Fate Begins
In a kingdom plagued by mysterious water-related phenomena, nature descends into chaos. Ponds and lakes overflow, hail falls from clear skies, valleys are swallowed by sudden floods, and torrential rains strike without warning.
The King’s courtiers believe these strange occurrences are tied to the illness of his only heir, The Princess. Through ancient records, they discover the existence of The Water Ghost, a spirit that moves from water into human bodies.
In a desperate attempt to save The Princess, the royal court summons The Artisan, a master of The Water Clock. Risking everything, The Artisan devises a plan to sacrifice herself and seal The Water Ghost inside The Water Clock, hoping to free The Princess from its grasp...
Synopsis
Act 1
A kingdom is tormented by strange natural phenomena. Water levels in ponds and lakes are rising, wells and springs are overflowing in villages, hail and snow fall from the sky, and glaciers descend from the mountains, engulfing valleys.
In a secluded part of the kingdom, The Artisan is deeply immersed in crafting an intricate Water Clock, drawing from a profound understanding of water’s nature. Nearby, The Apprentice idly shoots pellets into a jar with a slingshot. Suddenly, a royal envoy arrives, summoning The Artisan to the court of The King.
Boarding a small boat, The Artisan and The Apprentice set off toward the capital. The world is submerged in water, with only rooftops emerging above the surface. In the distance, the city begins to take shape.
Upon arriving, they are led through the palace to the chambers of The Princess, the only daughter of The King.
Around ten years old, The Princess appears possessed by an unknown force. No one dares to approach her. Each time The Artisan steps closer, snow falls from the air above The Princess, followed by rain.
Startled by The Artisan’s approach, The Princess lets out a piercing scream and thrashes in agony. Suddenly, a massive cloud of mist erupts from beneath her bed. Alarmed, The Apprentice quickly pulls The Artisan away.
A council meeting is called to discuss The Princess’s affliction. The court debates whether her condition is the cause of the kingdom’s suffering. The Palace Archivist recalls an ancient record mentioning The Water Ghost—a spirit that moves between water and human bodies.
The discussion grows heated. The Royal Physician insists that The Water Ghost must be expelled from The Princess, while The Royal Governess argues that psychological trauma is to blame. The King, fearing that any action might cost his daughter’s life, is paralyzed by despair.
Act 2
Workers labor to construct a massive Water Clock based on The Artisan’s design. The Apprentice pretends to help but mostly lounges, shooting pellets at sparrows with his slingshot.
Palace officials carefully carry the sleeping Princess on a stretcher and place her near the Water Clock. As she awakens and surveys her surroundings, shards of ice fall, and mist rises in the air. Drawn to the sound of the Water Clock, The Princess slowly approaches, leaning in until her face nearly touches the water’s surface.
Suddenly, her body twists violently, and she convulses uncontrollably.
The attempt to drive out The Water Ghost fails. Desperate, The King declares that if no progress is made by sunset, The Royal Physician will have permission to drill into The Princess’s skull.
Distraught, The Artisan and The Apprentice sit atop a high ledge, watching the flooded city as rain continues to pour. The Apprentice recalls a childhood memory—watching a praying mantis drown in a puddle, only to see a long, thread-like worm emerge and wriggle through the water.
Inspired by this memory, The Artisan rushes to The Princess and pushes her into the palace pond.
After a violent struggle, silence falls. Dripping with water, a dark, eerie figure emerges from the depths, emitting strange sounds. As it lunges toward The Artisan, she deliberately pulls it with her into the Water Clock. The Apprentice swiftly seals the lid shut.
The wails of The Water Ghost, The Artisan’s voice, and the rhythmic dripping of the Water Clock blend into a haunting symphony.
Meanwhile, The Princess, barely conscious, survives thanks to a slingshot pellet The Apprentice slipped into her hand. Revived, she regains her former self, and The King quietly drifts into sleep. Slowly, the water engulfing the kingdom begins to recede.
A Decade Later
Now The Queen, The Princess wakes from a nightmare and descends into the palace’s underground chamber.
There, she finds the Water Clock and a man sleeping beside it—her former Apprentice, now its guardian. As The Queen reaches out to touch the Water Clock, a song flows from within—a melody formed by The Water Ghost, The Artisan’s soul, and the clock itself.
As the song fades, only the sound of dripping water remains.
CAST & CREATIVES
CAST
The Princess
The Artisan
The Apprentice
The King
The Water Ghost
The Palace Archivist
The Chancellor
The Royal Governess
& A Villager
The Royal Physician
First Courtier
& First Emissary
Second Courtier
Third Courtier
Fourth Courtier
& Third Emissary
Second Emissary
& The Master Builder
Geomungo
Orchestra
Symphony Orchestra
Chorus
CREATIVES
Composer
Librettist
Conductor
Director
Associate Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Projection Designer
Hair·Make-up
Dramaturg
INSIGHTS
Composer's Note
Mary Finsterer
As composer, my vision for The Rising World was to create a sound world where past and present converge, mirroring the opera’s musing on transience and transformation. Drawing from Renaissance polyphony, operatic tradition and avant-garde techniques, I have sought to weave a musical language that is both structured and fluid, much like the shifting nature of water—the opera’s central motif. The integration of traditional Korean instruments was essential in grounding the score in its cultural heritage while allowing it to expand into new sonic dimensions. The interplay between Latin, English and Korean in the vocal writing reflects the opera’s exploration of language, metaphor and time, while the fusion of vocal, orchestral and electronic elements creates a landscape where ancient echoes meet contemporary expression. Throughout, the music moves between mathematical precision and organic spontaneity, embodying the opera’s tension between order and chaos, past wisdom and an uncertain future. The Rising World is, at its core, a journey through sound, memory and fate—an invitation to a fairy tale of the 21st century.
GALLERY
PHOTOS
VIDEOS
SOCIAL MEDIA
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
