Audience accrual and retainment for opera, a performance medium long considered a pastime for older patrons, has started to feel the pressure of bringing in new faces or risk further declining profits and possible business loss.
Strategies began emerging for opera houses big and small, that ranged from ticket packages to promotional themes and “behind the scenes” add-ons that are meant to deepen a viewer’s experience beyond the story presented on stage. New York’s Metropolitan Opera took things even further in this hopeful and promising direction, with their decisions to stream performances both on radio and to movie theaters worldwide; as well as hosting a free, open air, HD streaming festival in Lincoln Center Plaza during summers. In this way, at least when it comes to recent memory, opera has indeed been struggling a little less when it comes to wider exposure and increased audience approachability.
Almost poetically, the Sydney Opera House, another of the world’s iconic and top-tier names in opera, is now looking at the opportunity to bring their performances to the global stage. The Met and the Sydney Opera House couldn’t be farther apart from one another geographically and yet, both are pursuing similar forms of expansion. However, Sydney’s platform of choice isn’t the movie theater but the internet –more specifically YouTube.
Internet viewing and live streaming of events has become a staple among performance art, as technology has improved to make doing so a much easier and more appreciated experience. The right equipment can provide a seamless transmission that truly makes one feel more present in viewing rather than feeling “behind” from lag and poor image quality. YouTube and the Sydney Opera House have partnered to take advantage of this trend through a new two year agreement announced today, that will have up to 20 performances streamed live, beginning early on in 2013.
One has to give the opera house from down under some serious credit, as even with its rather far removed location, currently millions of people trek –either locally or from abroad– to see performances in person. Given this already applaudable number, the addition of worldwide access has the power to greatly boost the reputations of not only the opera house as a business but its individual singers and actors, from lots of first time viewing.
As reported via Tonedeaf.com, Richard North, the head of Music Partnerships YouTube Australian and New Zealand, had this to say about the new collaboration,
Sydney Opera House is one of the most ambitious and truly innovative venues in the world. They have a long-standing commitment to using technology to democratise access to their incredible performances… Building on hugely successful events like YouTube Symphony Orchestra and [Sydney's 10-day popular music celebration,] Vivid LIVE 2012, this new, long-term partnership is going to open up even more of the Opera House’s events to our 800 million strong monthly audience, showcasing the best of Australia and the world, live on the world’s largest stage – YouTube.
Louise Herron, the CEO of the Sydney Opera House certainly has a grand vision of expansion, believing that “over the coming years [the opera house will see] numbers watching on YouTube match[ing] or exceed[ing] the 8.2 million who visit our precinct annually.” If anyone has been a fan of opera but been limited in their viewing experiences, either in terms of cost or in terms of active singers, 2013 may be the perfect time to expand one’s horizons and perhaps find a new favorite production of a classic opera.
Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1
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