Dutch National Opera (De Nationale Opera) in Amsterdam has invested in four Robe iFORTE LTX moving lights with the HCF engine, which are installed in its 1,600-capacity main auditorium, where they are used for follow spotting, integrated with the existing remote follow system.
The fixtures are located on a front bridge with a 25-metre throw to the stage and are the first iFORTE LTX HCF units to be installed in the Netherlands.
As one of Europe’s leading opera companies, Dutch National Opera offers a diverse repertoire and is renowned for its creative energy, high production values and international collaborations. It shares a purpose-designed and purpose-built venue, located in a prime waterside position at Waterlooplein in central Amsterdam, with Dutch National Ballet.
Head of lighting Andi Krijgsman explained that they were looking for a powerful, high-quality light source for follow spotting that could be zoomed down to under 4 degrees to capture half-body and head shots when required. In addition, good CRI was another mission-critical requirement to achieve the realistic and rich skin tones that are so central to most opera performances.
Andi began discussions with account managers Romec Berendsen and Jelle van der Holst from Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux, who co-ordinate the Opera’s requirements. After testing, comparisons and a series of shootouts, the decision was made to go with the iFORTE LTX.
We are absolutely loving these fixtures. They are exactly what we wanted – proper quality long-throw luminaires with perfect colour mixing and rendering, said Andi.
Romec adds that it is very exciting that a high-profile organisation like the Opera has invested in the first iFORTE LTX HCF units in the country.
Andi has held this position at the Opera since 2021 and previously toured as team leader and lighting manager for RO Theatre in Rotterdam (which merged with Rotterdamse Schouwburg to become Theater Rotterdam in 2016), for which he had purchased some LEDWash 600 and T1 Profile fixtures. As a result, he was already familiar with the brand and the reliability of its products from that experience. The Opera also already had some Robe fixtures in the building: several LEDBeam 150s in the foyer and some older ColorSpot 1200 series products.
However, it was a more recent visit to the Robe factory in the Czech Republic, together with three colleagues from the Opera, that opened Andi’s eyes to the possibilities of Robe’s latest technologies. He was impressed by the entire operation and, in particular, by the meticulous R&D work that has gone into developing these iSeries fixtures to meet the demanding standards of theatre and broadcast environments:
I came away from the factory tour very impressed by Robe’s capabilities, along with the level and scale of development and the convenience and reliability of manufacturing in Europe.
He appreciated the way in which the new generation of products is designed to integrate with control networks and also connect to remote follow systems.
The Opera has extensive networked control systems that are integrated with the main console via sACN, allowing—among other things—their remote follow system to connect to the main auditorium console and to the Vectorworks design platform, which serves as the base for both the remote follow system and the automation controller. This enables the remote follow system to receive all positional information, while also acting as the central lighting administration platform.
Dutch National Opera productions present a wide range of acclaimed traditional and modern operatic works and experiences. The organisation places a strong emphasis on inclusivity and outreach, with performances, workshops and educational programmes designed both to satisfy demanding seasoned opera lovers and to engage new audiences.
