Hwang Su-mi in dual roles as Korea's leading opera venues debut innovative productions

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Hwang Su-mi in dual roles as Korea's leading opera venues debut innovative productions

Published: 06 Apr. 2025, 14:33 Updated: 06 Apr. 2025, 15:21

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Soprano Hwang Su-mi [JOONGANG ILBO]

Korea’s two leading performance halls are opening their spring opera seasons with ambitious new productions that push beyond the familiar territory of Verdi and Puccini.

The Seoul Metropolitan Opera will present “Faust” from April 10 to 13 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul. At the Seoul Arts Center, southern Seoul, the world premiere of “The Rising World: Spirit of Water,” will run from May 25 to 31.

Both works reflect a growing appetite for innovation in Korea’s opera scene.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Seoul Metropolitan Opera introduces a hybrid version of Charles Gounod’s “Faust,” combining traditional opera with theatrical storytelling.

In contrast, “The Rising World: Spirit of Water,” composed by Australian Mary Finsterer, represents a new kind of “K-opera.” The English-language work includes Korean traditional instruments such as the geomungo (traditional Korean six-string zither) and vocal styles like pansori (a Korean musical genre performed by a drummer and singer) and jeongga (a Korean traditional song), aiming to blend East and West.

In a twist of casting fate, soprano Hwang Su-mi plays leading roles in both productions.

Winner of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2014, Hwang gained national attention as the soloist for the Olympic hymn during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Now in her prime, she faces a unique artistic challenge.

“Both roles mark a debut for me, and one is a world premiere,” Hwang said in a recent interview with the JoongAng Sunday, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. “Spirit of Water came first, but Faust is rarely staged in Korea. I couldn’t say no.”

The soprano admitted the dual commitment is mentally demanding. Still, she remains focused.

In “Faust,” she sings Marguerite — a character often viewed as a tragic, passive woman. But Hwang offers a more nuanced take.

“I approach her as a human with desires,” she said. “She’s someone before the fall — with both good and evil within. That duality is what I’m building.”

The production’s most famous aria, “The Jewel Song,” poses fewer technical difficulties for her. More complex are the emotionally and vocally taxing duets and the Act V trio.

“Those parts can push you vocally if you get carried away,” she said. “I try to stay grounded.”

“The Rising World: Spirit of Water” is an entirely different challenge — and not just because it’s in English. The opera tells a coming-of-age story of two women, not a conventional romance.

“It’s hard. There’s a version of ‘Arirang’ in it that I have to twist and turn dramatically,” said Hwang. “But I’ve sung contemporary pieces by Unsuk Chin, so I’m used to modern music. It requires more effort when you don’t have perfect pitch, but it’s deeply rewarding.”

Beyond opera, Hwang is in high demand as a concert soloist. On April 5, she performed Mahler and Schoenberg pieces at the Tongyeong International Music Festival.

Earlier this year, she sang in Mahler’s “Resurrection” with conductor Chung Myung-whun and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” under Jaap van Zweden with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Concerts are tougher than opera,” she said. “You sit still for ages, then suddenly sing the most important part. It’s intense.”

She described working with van Zweden as “energetic” and with Chung as “aura-filled.”

“Van Zweden has a reputation, so I was nervous — but he was kind and full of energy,” she said. “Chung, though, is like silk. His music is so refined. When he lifts just an elbow, everything changes. Rehearsals with him are tough. You feel unworthy just standing beside him.”

Despite her commanding stage presence, Hwang revealed a more cautious side.

After winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition, she hesitated to accept an audition offer from renowned maestro Daniel Barenboim.

“I worried I might leave a bad impression,” she said. “This job isn’t just about voice — your mindset is everything.”

After singing lead roles at Germany’s Bonn Opera, she returned to Korea during the pandemic and now teaches at Kyung Hee University.

With European opera audiences aging, she believes Korea’s younger, growing fan base makes it a rising market.

“Even big names don’t sell out in Europe anymore,” she said. “Here, the competition is mostly among Koreans. That’s a good sign but also a challenge.”

Still, she’s concerned that Korea’s classical scene, while thriving with international wins, lacks long-term pathways for artists.

“People hear about competition wins, but there’s not enough support afterward,” she said. “Young singers wonder if this can really be a sustainable career.”

She often turns down one of opera’s most coveted roles — Violetta in “La Traviata.”

“I’ve been offered it many times, but I don’t want to do it half-baked,” she said. “People have their ideal Violetta in mind. I’d rather sing roles that let me express my own musical voice.”

She also hopes Korean opera will embrace more modern staging.

“Korea is culturally open, but opera productions here still lean traditional,” she said. “I hope bold experiments like these two shows become more common.”

Translated from the JoongAng Sunday using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY YOO JU-HYUN [[email protected]]