The Bucharest National Opera (Opera Națională București), the country’s leading national opera and ballet company, has invested in Robe moving and LED luminaires, delivered at the start of the year via Robe’s official distributor in Romania, Senia Music.
The new additions include iFORTES, Spiider LED wash beams, LEDBeam 350, Tetra2 and ParFect 150, totalling over 100 fixtures, in a decision overseen by the Opera’s maestro, Daniel Jinga.
Daniel is also the creative director and general manager — as well as chorus master and principal conductor — of the Muntenia Symphony Orchestra in Târgoviște.
He has been at Opera Națională București for four years, where he immediately recognized that a technical upgrade was overdue and began securing the necessary funding. An upcoming 2026 production of the epic musical Phantom was a further catalyst for kickstarting the installation of contemporary production lighting. Daniel led the lighting team in the search for a solution.
 |
 |
The most important change — apart from being able to light shows more imaginatively thanks to luminaires with greater scope and more features — was that the Opera moved from being dependent on rentals and external factors for moving lights to being practically self-sufficient. This improves workflow efficiency and adds value to the productions, while also being more cost-effective from an operational standpoint.
Lighting designer Stefan Dragu has worked at Opera Națională București for 30 years and recalls how the venue’s previous moving lights — from other brands — were ageing and worn out, making replacement necessary.
The lighting department drew up a list of essential requirements for the new luminaires, including power, functionality, silent operation, high CRI and good shutter systems, among other factors. After evaluating the available options, Robe was unanimously chosen as the best option.
They had previously owned a couple of older Robe ColorSpot 1200E AT fixtures, and Robe products were frequently among the rental items brought in for various shows, so they were familiar with the brand. Now they are in an excellent position to fully cover the needs of their own productions.
 |
 |
A typical season includes two musicals and one opera running in repertoire, and throughout the year nearly 40 operas, musicals and ballets are presented in the main auditorium, which seats 1,000 people, features a classic horseshoe shape, and is crowned by a large illuminated chandelier.
The lighting crew, made up of 10 people, supports incoming lighting designers when there is one, and when there is not, steps up and designs the lighting themselves in conjunction with each show’s producer and director.
“Having the new Robe fixtures onboard has made everything much easier and more streamlined”, notes Stefan, emphasizing that although it was a major investment, it has been worth it for the significant improvement it brings to every lighting professional working in the building. It is also helping reduce energy consumption by replacing older fixtures. Stefan also highlights that they have maintained an excellent working relationship with Senia for at least 15 years, as the company has also supplied them with audio equipment and MI products. “We are all very happy!” he concludes.
The current opera house, located in the vibrant heart of central Bucharest near the Cotroceni neighbourhood, is a historic monument designed by Octav Doicescu and Paraschiva Iubu. The stage is notable for offering a large technical area measuring 24 metres wide by 20 metres deep, with 30 metres of headroom. The building’s façade features striking monumental arches and bas-reliefs celebrating opera and ballet.
