Jieun LEE : Kalea Butalsoro (Live)
For Your GRAMMY® Consideration
in the category of Best Opera Recording
Released Jun 17, 2025
A pioneering opera exploring humanity and the ocean.
Portraying the climate crisis through the theme of rising sea levels.
And it sings of the power of love amid a future crisis for humanity.
THE OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO
Yo canto, tu Bailas!
I sing, ye dance!
O! Butalsoro! the city on the sea that will last forever!
It is with great enthusiasm that you recommend OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO for consideration as a nominee. This work stands as a powerful and original contribution to the world of contemporary music and theater, representing a bold evolution of the operatic form.
World Premiere
KEPCO Art Center, Seoul
February 28 - March 1, 2025 (4 performances)
Presented by Art Farm LK, Hosted by Arts Council Korea
Spanish pronunciation correction by Instituto Cervantes de Seúl, Maria Reyes Gonzalez
Portela
Kalea Butalsoro is the first chapter of a sci-fi opera trilogy exploring humanity, AI, and future ecosystems. Premiered in March 2025 at KEPCO Art Center, Seoul, this work, composed by Jieun Lee with a libretto by Jaechung Kim, was selected for the 2024 Korea Arts Council's "Creative Studio" project. It is the first Korean opera sung in Spanish.
The opera fuses Korean traditional music (pansori) with modern composition, integrating East Asian sea myths from Bali, Indonesia, and Jeju Island. It serves as a global dialogue on climate and cultural heritage, setting the stage for a trilogy to be completed over the next decade.
In Butalsoro, the floating city representing humanity's last bastion, the opera pursues values of human salvation, coexistence with nature, and harmony between tradition and future, emphasizing love, hope, and environmental awareness amid climate crisis.
Synopsis
In 2187, on the night of the millennium festival 'Algebra' under a blue moon, the Telos tribe from the Banda and Arafur Seas arrives in the floating city of Butalsoro. Princess Anavis aims to deliver the future energy source, REGIOCRUX, to her lover, city chairman Eugene Baik, for peaceful use. However, malevolent forces Kane and Kanaloa seek to steal REGIOCRUX and conquer the world.
As the great sea storm 'Kalea' approaches, the second act follows 'Nabi,' sacrificed to the sea in 1607 at Busan's Yeonggadae. She guards REGIOCRUX on Telos island for a thousand years. The opera portrays the creation of a new world through love and hope.
Creator and Artist Interview
Media
Watch the official trailer for Kalea Butalsoro, showcasing the dramatic fusion of Spanish arias and pansori:
Opera Kalea Butalsoro FYC
The Opera KALEA - BUTALSORO world premiere live, seoul 오페라 칼레아 부탈소로 라이브 앨범 국제 발매 아트팜엘케이
OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO world premiere ACT2 Humilde ser humano! COMPOSER JIEUN LEE , Libretto J.C KIM
(Countain Call) The Opera KALEA BUTALSORO kor spanish world premiere seoul live 20250301 night
(opera live 110mins, eng sub) The Opera KALEA BUTALSORO korean spanish world premiere,seoul ARKO
"The opera 'Kalea Butalsoro' addresses climate crisis and environmental issues, using recycled materials like costumes made from waste PET bottles, which align with the theme. It sparks discussions on environment and humanity, with international potential."
"The creative opera 'Kalea Butalsoro' successfully concluded its premiere at the KEPCO Art Center in Seoul last February. This work, selected as the Korea Arts Council's new work of the year, attracted about 2,400 audience members over four performances, providing a fresh shock to the opera world. The work, based on the story of migrants living in the aquatic city of 'Butalsoro', combines mythological elements and deep thoughts about human nature."
Chang-ho KANG
"Composer Jieun Lee stated that the work is an opera that deals with the environment and humanity against a future backdrop, and fuses Korean traditional music with modern composition techniques.'"
"Shocking and unique. It was not a recitative and aria opera we know, but a 'song-through' where the entire cast sings constantly... The message of 'human salvation and coexistence' was conveyed without a break through the lyrics and music."
Full Track Listing
CD 1
1. Butalsoro, Act 1, Great Voyage to Butalsoro (overture) (4:01)
2. Butalsoro, Act 1, Yal Lui Yaloha (3:44)
3. Butalsoro, Act 1, To the Moon City (3:34)
4. Butalsoro, Act 1, Song of Butali (2:38)
5. Butalsoro, Act 1, Telos Ocarina (1:25)
6. Butalsoro, Act 1, Kill you for my World! (2:29)
7. Butalsoro, Act 1, Regiocrux! (3:13)
8. Butalsoro, Act 1, Blue Algebra Night (4:41)
9. Butalsoro, Act 1, Tikis Dance (3:00)
10. Butalsoro, Act 1, amor como el mar (5:55)
11. Butalsoro, Act 1, Halo, Viento! (2:49)
12. Butalsoro, Act 1, Sangre Espinas (3:28)
13. Butalsoro, Act 1, In Dream (4:07)
14. Butalsoro, Act 1, Look! Poor People! (3:19)
15. Butalsoro, Act 1, Wake up and Blow the Trumpet! (2:22)
16. Butalsoro, Act 1, Kalea of Snake Fear (4:06)
CD 2
1. Butalsoro, Act 2, Thousand Gods! (4:32)
2. Butalsoro, Act 2, Shaman's Dance (1:58)
3. Butalsoro, Act 2, Shaman's Oracle (3:47)
4. Butalsoro, Act 2, Butterfly Sacrifice (3:03)
5. Butalsoro, Act 2, Invitation to Future (3:38)
6. Butalsoro, Act 2, Yo canto, tu bailas (4:01)
7. Butalsoro, Act 2, Pipisala Eterna (2:46)
8. Butalsoro, Act 2, Kalea Kalea (2:59)
9. Butalsoro, Act 2, Godsends Regiocrux (3:00)
10. Butalsoro, Act 2, Humilde ser humano! (4:50)
11. Butalsoro, Act 2, amor por siempre (4:19)
12. Butalsoro, Act 2, Eterno Butalsoro (2:53)
13. Butalsoro, Act 2, Encore Medley (6:41)
Album – include recording time lengths : 1hr 43mins
Staffs
Artist(s) Name
Gum Ryeon CHUNG, Heesang LEE, Sooji NAM,
Jihoon KIM, Boram CHA, Byeonghee KIM,
Sunghyun RYU, Hyunwook KANG,
MINERVA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA,
LK CHOIRS, MET Opera Chorus
Composer Jieun LEE / Librettist Jaechung KIM
Gum Ryeon CHUNG
Conductor
Yongsung JANG
MINERVA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Chief
MINERVA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MET OPERA CHORUS
Jaechung KIM Producer/ Librettist
Jieun LEE
Producer/ Composer
Group Name
Album Title
Jieun LEE : Kalea Butalsoro (Live)
Art Farm LK
Album Artistic theme :
The world's only opera to sing of humanity and the ocean!
The only opera to depict the climate crisis of rising sea levels!
An opera that sings of the power of love amid a future crisis for humanity.
THE OPERA KALEA BUTALSORO - world premiere live album!
The beginning of the new and eternal Opera Kalea trilogy
I sing, ye dance. O! Butalsoro! the city on the sea that will last forever!
In the year 2187, humanity faces an existential crisis as sea levels rise relentlessly,
threatening the entire planet. This opera album captures the epic struggle of good
versus evil unfolding in BUTALSORO, a futuristic floating city built by humanity.
Recording Date(s) : MAR. 1. 2025
Release Date : JUN. 17. 2025
Producer(s) : Jaechung KIM, Jieun LEE
Executive Producer(s) : Sungwook HONG, Sunyoung YOON, Seungil PAK
Engineer(s) : Junghoon CHOI(Chief Engineer), Ben LIM(Sub Engineer)
Mixer(s) : Andy Beomhyun AHN(Chief Mixer), Ben LIM(Sub Mixer)
Mastering Engineer(s) : Andy Beomhyun AHN
Immersive Sound Engineer(s) : Andy Beomhyun AHN
Songwriter(s) : Composer Jieun LEE / Librettist Jaechung KIM
Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and ALL Song categories
Record Label/Media Company : Art Farm LK
Publisher(s) : The Orchard Music
UPC : 199350909023
 Member of Recording Academy Junghoon CHOI |
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