Future Opera Houses and Concert Halls - What will the next generation of perormance spaces do and be

FUTURE OPERA HOUSES AND CONCERT HALLS - WHAT WILL THE NEXT GENERATION OF PERFORMANCE SPACES DO AND BE? A Classical:NEXT conference session by David Staples held on Saturday, 1 June 2013 at the MAk, Vienna, Austria Abstract The nature of performance is changing. Creative artists are innovating in more ways than ever before, using new technologies in ever more imaginative ways. The economic and political climate is also changing. How will these and other factors influence new concert halls, theatres and opera houses? What impact will these changes have on existing venues -- how should they be adapted or refurbished for the future? This talk will start by looking back at the evolution of the concert hall and opera house to put the present in context. It will examine current trends, both in performance and in the design and planning of new and refurbished buildings. It will speculate on future venues for live performance including new technologies, multi-form spaces and the need to create e