Opera Europa

ONB RANKS AMONG THE GREATEST EUROPEAN LYRICAL STAGES       Beginning with March 2007, further to the initiative of Cătălin I. Arbore, Director General, Bucharest National Opera (ONB) has become a member of the international organization Opera Europa. Reuniting the most important European lyrical companies and opera festivals, this organization located in Brussels actually counts 110 members from 33 countries. Within it, Romania is represented by Bucharest National Opera and by Iaşi National Opera.       Opera Europa proposes the creation of a „common market” for European opera theatres and festivals, where its members should support each other in the development of their activity and should equally cooperate in order to achieve common projects.       The Managing Council of Opera Europa is made up of 15 members elected for a three years period. Beginning with 2003, the president of the organisation has been Nicholas Payne. During 27 years, Nicholas Payne  hold important positions within four opera houses  in Great Britain (Welsh National Opera, Opera North, English National Opera and Royal Opera Covent Garden), accumulating thus a rich experience in the functioning of a lyrical theatre.       Every year, Opera Europa organizes at least two conferences on specific themes, hosted at one of the member lyrical theatres. These meetings, where more than one hundred participants are invited, consist of working shops and debates, on subject matters closely related to various activities specific of any such opera and ballet institution. The exchange of experience at international level has several objectives: modernization of the functioning of the European lyrical theatres, creation of new partnerships, identification of new methods meant to attract new categories of audiences in the opera hall, search for new modalities to diversify the income sources and to encourage the creativity of opera and ballet productions.          The first conference organized by Opera Europa in 2008, having as a theme “Various tendencies in cultural management” took place in Warsaw (April 4-6), at the Polish National Opera. Among the subject matters under discussion on the occasion of this meeting, mention should be made of different methods meant to: segment the opera audience, to create the image of the lyrical theatre, to establish ticket price strategies and to obtain private financing.       The second meeting of this year took place in Bregenz, in Austria (May 30 -31 2008). Under the title ” Use of new technologies in opera staging” several themes were dedicated to the modality in which 3D images, latest audio, photo and video techniques could attract the young audience opera performance halls.       Conceived under the title „Opera and Society”, the latest Opera Europa conference took place in Oslo, Norway (between the 26th and the 28th of September). The event was hosted by the The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, which has functioned, since April 2008, in a new and modern building that has become a cultural symbol of the city. Representatives of European Opera Theaters and important public figures of the Norwegian culture (such as Trond Giske, the Ministry of Culture and Cults) debated on the relationship between the Opera, the State institutions and the private companies.       Topics about public budget funds versus sponsorships, about supporting contemporary composers, enlarging the national repertory and revealing new ways of presenting classic opera to younger generations in a more friendly and approachable way were talked over.       Two associations function in direct connection with Opera Europa: Fedora (integral part of Opera Europe) – European organization of opera friends and Reseo – network of educational departments within the lyrical theatres whose mission is to promote the opera and ballet by means of educational activities. For more details please visit www.opera-europa.org Opera Europa Warsaw April 2008   Opera Europa Bregenz May 2008   Opera Europa Oslo September 2008