New Magic at Astana Opera House

Victor Carare, the opera house’s deputy director, spoke in detail about the scale of this internal technological revolution. At Astana Opera, virtually everything has been digitised: from lighting scores and video content to the work of sound engineers, prop masters and the costume department.

“All of this is stored and utilised thanks to the central stage computer,” Victor Carare explains. “With its help, complex performances with numerous scene and act changes are carried out. It is one large mechanism that is exceptionally well-organised thanks to digitalisation.”

This mechanism even encompasses engineering systems, such as maintaining precise temperatures in the auditorium. Digitalisation involves the implementation of integrated information systems that improve logistics, planning and the coordination of all services – from set pieces assembly to rehearsals and the performances themselves.

Special effects have become a vivid illustration of this evolution. Where red and orange fabric fluttering in the wind was once used to simulate fire on stage, complex digital systems are now employed. Launching smoke or pyrotechnic effects can now be done from a console located 50 metres from the stage, making the process safe, precise and entirely controlled.

One of the first productions at the opera house to utilise such technology was Asafiev’s ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai. Now, the opera house’s arsenal has expanded significantly: 3D projections, frontal video mapping, LED screens, complex lifting mechanisms and pneumatics. All of this is managed by digital systems. According to Victor Carare, the production of Puccini’s Turandot is currently one of the most technologically advanced. The audience can witness real rain on the steppe, Princess Turandot’s dramatic emergence from beneath the earth and performers appearing from a dragon’s head.

“Digital technologies fundamentally change both what the audience sees and the invisible work backstage. Digitalisation helps to plan and organise the work of every structural unit across all platforms very effectively,” emphasises Victor Carare. “Without this, it would be impossible to achieve high results with such an intensive repertoire.”

The deputy director also noted that the Year of Digitalisation and AI finds its expression in concrete processes rather than abstract reports. While the department for set projects and production work previously created drawings and drafts on paper, everything has now been converted to a digital format. “Digital technologies at Astana Opera are a tool that liberates creative energy by taking over the routine. They allow the opera house to keep pace with the times, creating large-scale, impressive productions. Audiences can witness this fusion of classical art and the digital age during the performance of The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, which will take place on 4 February at Astana Opera,” Victor Carare concluded.

On January 16, 17, and 18, Astana Opera was set to present one of its most celebrated repertoire highlights: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, staged by the ballet company’s artistic director, Altynai Asylmuratova.