Our Vision
”The world around us is changing, but all we do is play the same bloody violin.”
–Esa-Pekka Salonen
In a world where hacking and real-time global communication is the norm, and the status quo is constantly questioned and reinvented, the objective of Opera Beyond is to explore, break boundaries, and create extraordinary immersive experiences.
Time inevitably brings change. Breakthroughs in understanding and innovations in technology alter the landscape of the future. We, the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, are steeped in tradition; we honour the classics, the greats – we bring to the stage librettos of splendour.
Now – we want to invite our audiences to be active participators, to stimulate the senses to another level, and to highlight emotions. We bring the prestige, drama, skills, and thrills of the traditional Opera and Ballet, and we move beyond.
This is Opera Beyond.
We are looking for:
Artists _ AR / Thinkers /
Coders ]
Polymaths
Designers + Micro
Utopias /
Nokia Bell Labs x Opera Beyond
“The Opera Beyond project is a critical undertaking bringing together the fields of art and technology. The Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s vision for the future of the opera resonated strongly with our vision within within E.A.T.”, says Domhnaill Hernon, Head of Experiments in Arts and Technology (E.A.T.) at Nokia Bell Labs.
Laila
Laila, the new, interactive work created by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Paula Vesala, Tuomas Norvio and the Ekho Collective for the Finnish National Opera premiered in August 2020 and is currently on tour in Hong Kong.
Laila rejects the traditional roles of performing arts, as its music and visuality evolve and change in interaction with the audience. In Laila, you are not the audience, but one of many actors shaping reality. Laila is a unique experience, which is different every time.
XR Stage Design Platform for production professionals
Extended and virtual reality are paramount in finding new collaboration methods in production design. To improve both communication and production efficiency, a model for simulating artistic designs is developed through networking, shared experiences, and learning together. This is what we do.
The Opera Beyond Conference
We were so ready to shake, stir and surprise you, but unfortunately we had to cancel the Opera Beyond Conference in May 2020, due to concerns raised by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Join our exciting journey
Opera Beyond is all about the collision of new technologies and performing arts. Our voyage of discovery is well on its way and we’re looking for ambitious partners to get on board. Let’s create something truly ground-breaking together.
