BMW OPERA NEXT. Digital partnership between Staatsoper Unter den Linden and BMW. Offering fresh perspectives for young audiences.

Berlin. Building up on their long-term partnership since 2007, Staatsoper Unter den Linden and BMW announce a new digital cooperation on the occasion of “State Opera for All” open-air events in Berlin on June 15 and 16.  BMW OPERA NEXT will make use of the opportunities presented by digitalisation to open up fresh perspectives and new ways of accessing the world of opera for young audiences.

What does the backstage area of an opera house look like? In which ways is opera relevant for cities and the society in general? What happens when musicians give impromptu concerts at unexpected venues? What happens in the very last seconds before the curtain is lifted? What is the perspective of the conductor, who are the musicians of the ensemble Staatskapelle Berlin and what does the opera of the future look like?

With new series for social media channels, creating interactive selfie spots in front of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, BMW and Staatsoper Unter den Linden will be developing new formats offering a variety of insights into the exciting and multi-faceted world of opera and its backstage areas. To that end, they will expand their streaming services as well as create a stronger presence across the various social media networks.

For further information regarding all content of BMW OPERA NEXT, please visit the blog of Staatsoper Unter den Linden https://blog.staatsoper-berlin.de/kategorie/bmwoperanext/ and #BMWOperaNext.

#ChangeYourView
The Audience can already experience fresh perspectives at “State Opera for All” on next Saturday. On June 15, 2019, the prelude to “Tristan and Isolde” will be shown from a unique viewpoint: a "mini-camera" placed on the torso of conductor Daniel Barenboim will present audiences on site and the world via live streaming the opportunity to experience the musicians live at work from the maestro’s vantage point for the very first time. During the live stream, online audiences will also have the opportunity to adopt additional perspectives such as a 360° bird’s eye view of the stage area, the prompter’s perspective and the view from the lighting bridge or the conductor’s stand. The guests in the opera house will also be able to watch how the Bebelplatz will fill up with tens of thousands of spectators.

#OutOfTheOpera
Following their analogue tradition, the musicians of Staatskapelle Berlin will perform at Berlin’s favourite hot spots: once a month, the ensemble will leave behind the concert hall and orchestra pit of Staatsoper Unter den Linden to play at the city’s favourite bars offering concerts free of charge across the capital. The format offers audiences the opportunity to experience first-rate music in a relaxed setting outside of the concert hall while being given a chance to talk with the ensemble’s musicians. Following a successful opening session at Bar Tausend in January 2019, the performers moved on to play at Mein Haus am See in Berlin‑Mitte, Ludwig Bar in Berlin‑Neukölln, Moritz Bar in Berlin‑Wedding and Zosse Bar in Berlin‑Rixdorf. The final 30-minute concert of the series #OutOfTheOpera will be held on June 17, 2019, at Klunkerkranich in Berlin‑Neukölln. The series will be continued featuring monthly pop-up appearances in the upcoming 2019/20 season with video recordings of previous evening performances deliberately published on social media channels only. In addition, #OutOfTheOpera invites its audiences to share their experience and impressions live online and video recordings of the evening shows will be used to announce upcoming events. All posts created by members of the audience will be entered into a draw to win tickets for performances at Staatsoper Unter den Linden or concerts of Staatskapelle Berlin.

#OperaOfTheFuture
As part of the concept, the creators of the initiative plan on developing content for the digital future of opera in the spring of 2020. During the conference on design, lifestyle and digital worlds (DLD) held in Munich in 2020, experts from the various fields of composition and digital production, together with BMW’s very own sound engineers, will debate questions regarding new technologies and opportunities of the opera of the future.

The new series for social media channels include for example #AskMatthias: The opera house’s new artistic director Matthias Schulz will respond to questions from the audience via short video clips posted on social media. Influencer Elisa Schenke asked, “What do you find most disrupting when attending a performance at the opera?” He said, „When someone unwraps a piece of candy in a very slow manner making a lot of rustling noises in the process…”. In the new series #OperaMatters emerging talents of Berlin’s pop culture will address questions such as “Do you believe in love at first sight?” or “What are you willing to do for power?”, illustrating how these topical questions are relevant in both everyday-life and great operas such as “The Magic Flute” and “Rigoletto”. With Celebrities including Langston Uibel, Loco Candy, Haiyti, Visa Vie, Zsá Zsá Inci Bürkle, Sebastian Zimmerhackl, Lipa, Andy Kassier, Cheyenne Tulsa, Josephine Kinsey, Romano, Lary, Search Yiu, Jan Koeppen, Michail Stangl and Kaan Bulak.

Asked about the new digital partnership, Matthias Schulz, General Manager of Staatsoper Unter den Linden, said, “It is a matter close to my heart that Staatsoper Unter den Linden is perceived as a place where audiences can experience something truly unique with all their senses, even without being aficionados. ‘State Opera for All’ has been a wonderful example of exactly this idea for the last 13 years! Which is also why I am very pleased that we will take our next steps together with BMW as our main partner to create a digital partnership. We want to use digital means and social media channels to open up fresh perspectives and offer new insights into the world of opera. In so doing, we want to become more accessible, pique people’s curiosity and welcome them at our opera house for live performances. In addition to the many new communication channels, this cooperation will also focus on questions regarding the future of opera as an art form in a world of digital innovation. I am very much looking forward to this exchange of ideas!”

Daniel Barenboim, Musical Director of Staatsoper Unter den Linden, added, “I am very much looking forward to end this season together with the people of Berlin and all its visitors celebrating a weekend featuring ‘State Opera for All’ at Bebelplatz, the ‘city’s largest concert hall’. I am particularly pleased that our remarkable 26-year old concert master Jiyoon Lee will perform as solo artist at the symphonic concert given by Staatskapelle Berlin on Sunday. This musical event will present an exclusive programme: in addition to Brahms, we will be playing the Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who personally used to conduct the orchestra! We are excited that BMW will continue to be our main partner for ‘State Opera for All’ and join us in finding new ways of addressing a wide public while getting them excited about opera and classical music.”

“Opera has been a favourite of the people for over 400 years. We have been fans of the opera for as much as almost half a century. As long-standing partner of Staatsoper Unter den Linden we are very pleased to also bring our know-how and networks to the new initiative BMW OPERA NEXT, as digital transformation is not only vital for the future success of our company, but also makes possible a change of perspectives at the opera. In turn, this will help reach and develop entirely new audiences,” said Maximilian Schöberl, Executive Vice President BMW Group.

“State Opera for All” on June 15 and 16, 2019, hosted by Thomas Gottschalk
Since 2007, “State Opera for All“ has delighted over half a million visitors. For more than a decade, the format has been the foundation of the long-standing partnership of BMW and Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Since the 2018/19 season, BMW Group has supported Staatsoper Unter den Linden as its main global partner and has continued to develop the collaborative initiative in form of an exclusive digital partnership.

Programme for the weekend of open-air concerts and broadcasts:

Saturday, June 15 at 3 PM
Live broadcast of Richard Wagner’s opera “Tristan and Isolde” at Bebelplatz
Musical Director: Daniel Barenboim
Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Leading roles: Andreas Schager, Anja Kampe and René Pape

Sunday, June 16 at 1 PM
Live symphonic concert at Bebelplatz
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Solo artist: Jiyoon Lee
Programme: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64,
Johannes Brahms: Symphony 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Admission will be offered free of charge, courtesy of BMW Berlin.

#BMWOperaNext
#SOFA2019
#StaatsoperUnterDenLinden
#BMWGroupCulture

For further questions please contact:
Prof. Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 247 53

www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de

Victoria   Dietrich
Head of Press
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Telephone: +49 30 203 54 481   
E-mail: v.dietrich@staatsoper-berlin.de
www.staatsoper-berlin.de

About BMW Group Cultural Engagement
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In 2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich, Moscow and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
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The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to € 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a workforce of 134,682 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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