Opera 2.0: Interactive, Immersive, International

Opera has long embodied the Gesamtkunstwerk ideal — integrating music, drama, design, and performance. Yet in the 21st century, the art form risks lagging behind adjacent fields such as gaming, film, and XR, which are rapidly advancing immersive and interactive storytelling. This panel examines how opera can reassert its integrative potential by engaging with new technologies and cross-disciplinary practices. 

International leaders in composition, direction, and production will present case studies and discuss three key areas: 

Innovation and R&D – adoption of spatial audio, VR/AR, real-time interactivity, and hybrid stage–screen formats. 

Distribution and Audience Engagement – models for reaching global and diverse audiences beyond live performance and broadcast. 

Collaboration and Institutional Models – frameworks for sustaining large-scale interdisciplinary projects through partnerships and funding. 

Drawing on the panelists’ most recent work, the session will demonstrate how opera can adapt strategies from other art forms while leveraging its strengths in narrative depth and live performance. The panel discussion promises to offer practical insights into production, funding, and distribution of immersive music-driven works, as well as an understanding of the broader technological and cultural dynamics shaping the future of audiovisual storytelling.