What if we combine Opera with Virtual Reality? That is what the Dutch Travel Opera (Nederlandse Reis Opera) was thinking. Wouldn't it be great if the audience was part of the opera piece, how can we motivate them to interact? All these questions we did grab with both hands in a wonderfull, colorfull and a huge team with opera people, theatre design, costume design, voice coaches, and a lot of creative and technical people.

WELTATEM:
an interactive VR opera

This is a video capturing the interactive virtual reality opera experience Weltatem.

Weltatem combines Opera with Virtual Reality! In this colorful multidisciplinary project Monobanda worked together with Opera singers, theatre designers, costume designers, voice coaches, and technical artists.

Together with VR group Wildvreemd, the goal was to create a theatrical experience where the audience is participating and singing together with professional opera singers. In this opera show 30 audience members put on VR helmets and play a game that they control with their voice. This dreamlike game asks them to sing, modulate, and harmonize. 

At the same time, the sound that these players make creates a musical composition together with the singing of the real opera singers. Which in turn becomes a haunting experience for the onlooking audience that sees individual amateurs slowly becoming one with a opera choir.

Weltatem has been featured in IETM's publication "Mixed Reality and the Theatre of the Future" as a groundbreaking example of incorporating virtual reality in a unique theatrical experience where different worlds meet.

In collaboration with:
Nederlandse Reis Opera
Het Geluid Maastricht
University of Twente
Wildvreemd
Kirsten Schoetteldreier
Marouscha Levy
Beer van Geer
Jesse van Leeuwen
Spook.FM
We are also thankful to TV Enschede and Concerto Media for the video material.