Zen Master Yu is a classic Chinese story known for its sarcastic comments on political bureaucracy and religious practice. This operatic adaptation, trimming most references to its specific socio-political context, aims to retain the philosophical essence, exploring the collision between spiritual pursuit and human desire, and asking questions about the nature of reality itself. What is real, what is illusory?

A modern western opera incorporating elements of classical Chinese aesthetics, The Monk and the Lotus aims to transform the performance style of opera singers through innovative stage direction that takes inspiration from the close integration of singing and physical movement, a feature inherent in traditional Chinese Opera.