Fri 25 Feb - Sun 3 Apr 2022
Hong Kong Maritime Museum (Star Ferry Central)
Hong Kong Maritime Museum (Star Ferry Central)
The new, interactive work created by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Paula Vesala, Tuomas Norvio and the Ekho Collective for the Finnish National Opera rejects the traditional roles of performing arts, as its music and visuality evolve and change in interaction with the audience. In Laila, you are not the audience, but one of many actors shaping reality. Laila is a unique experience, which is different every time.
Programme Information
Pushing beyond conventions through the convergence of Arts and Technology, a unique and personalised immersive opera experience
One of the major highlights of the 50th HKAF in 2022, Laila is an immersive opera experience that will be available for five weeks over the course of the Festival period. It is a co-production of the HKAF and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB), receiving its international premiere in Hong Kong after premiere in Finland in 2020. Born out of Opera Beyond, FNOB’s international open call for concepts of an immersive and interactive art piece, this production was awarded the prestigious FEDORA Digital Prize for 2020, Europe’s largest opera and ballet competition.
Having more than just a visual impact, Laila incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), video-projection mapping, 360 spatial sound and real time sensors to offer a unique, immersive and interactive arts experience in the dome-shaped performance space. In Laila, audiences are invited to co-create the titular character’s reality and the future world with Artificial Intelligence. The show’s music and visual texture evolve and change in interaction with the audience’s participation, challenging us to encounter people’s hopes, fears and anxieties related to technology and the future unknown.
Winner
FEDORA Digital Prize for 2020
FEDORA Digital Prize for 2020
Credit
Co-production
Finnish National Opera and Ballet & Hong Kong Arts Festival
Finnish National Opera and Ballet & Hong Kong Arts Festival
Composer
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Dramaturge
Paula Vesala
Paula Vesala
Sound Design
Tuomas Norvio
Tuomas Norvio
Arts and Technology Specialist
Ekho Collective
Ekho Collective
The work’s sound is a recorded interpretation by the opera singers and orchestra musicians of the Finnish National Opera.
Soprano
Krista Kujala, Sanna Iljin, Helianna Herkkola
Krista Kujala, Sanna Iljin, Helianna Herkkola
Alto
Anna Erokhina, Raisa Vaarna, Ida Wallén
Anna Erokhina, Raisa Vaarna, Ida Wallén
Tenor
Halim Shon, Joonas Eloranta, Jere Martikainen
Halim Shon, Joonas Eloranta, Jere Martikainen
Bass
Arto Hosio, Andrus Mitt, Robert McLoud, Jyrki Korhonen
Arto Hosio, Andrus Mitt, Robert McLoud, Jyrki Korhonen
Percussion
Uolevi Högström, Jukka Koski, Virva Kuusi, Mauri Myllys, Heikki Parviainen, Keijo Puumalainen
Uolevi Högström, Jukka Koski, Virva Kuusi, Mauri Myllys, Heikki Parviainen, Keijo Puumalainen
In addition, Laila’s voice will be provided by
Paula Vesala, Miriam Hilpo (Finnish)
Gunilla Hemming, Emil Paloniemi (Swedish)
Sanna-June Hyde, Miriam Hilpo (English)
Paula Vesala, Miriam Hilpo (Finnish)
Gunilla Hemming, Emil Paloniemi (Swedish)
Sanna-June Hyde, Miriam Hilpo (English)
The Trailer
Remarks
Programme Laila has a total duration of one hour and consists of an opera experience (20 mins) and a pop-up exhibition.Registered audience are requested to bring your QR code ticket for admission 15 minutes before the scheduled time, and our on-site staff will allocate entry to the opera experience and pop-up exhibition sessions according to the admittance sequence. Visitors to Laila will enjoy priority access to the exhibition at the registered time. Latecomers will not be admitted, nor will audience members who leave during the opera experience be readmitted.
Important Information for the visitor
- There are 8 people experiencing Laila at the same time.
- The Opera Experience contains strobe light effects, as well as loud sound effects and music.
- The programme is suitable for ages 6 or above. Children younger than 12 should be accompanied by at least one adult to enter the venue.
- Disposable shoe covers will be provided inside the Opera Experience space and must be worn for the protection of the glass floor.
- Photography and filming are allowed in the performance space. But it’s forbidden to use flash light, make or take calls and to live stream to social media.
- Smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited in the venue.
- All the content of works are independently produced by the organiser / creative team, and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Project nor the Sponsor.
- The Festival reserves the right to refuse admission to any visitor who appears or is suspected to be physically unfit to enter the venue.
- The Festival reserves the right to vary advertised programmes and relevant arrangements. Should there be such changes, the Festival will update the relevant information on its website so far as practicable.