Symphonie Fantastique
Immersive Symphonic Experience
Role:
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Concept / Ideation
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Co-producer
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Art Director
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Video Producer
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Screenplay
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Event Marketing
Client:
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La Súper
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Patronato La Superior
Partners & Collaborators:
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Alejandro Garza
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Orion Productions
The recent event "La Súper Sinfonía Fantástica" took place on October 8th and 9th, 2024, in the stunning Patio Central of the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey (ESMDM).
This immersive symphonic experience featured the performance of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, a landmark piece of classical music. The event stood out not only for its musical brilliance but also for its multimedia spectacle, with over 100 artists, including musicians, dancers, and actors, bringing the emotional and dramatic narrative of the work to life.
Overview
The audience was transported to 1830s Paris through a combination of music, visual projections, and special effects, making use of Berlioz’s own notes to enhance the presentation.
The architectural ambiance of the historic venue added to the grandeur of the evening.
"In summary, the production is a must-see spectacle that deserves to be experienced, heard, and shared with a wider audience".
— Gabriel Rangel, Music Critic
La Súper Presents:
Symphonie Fantastique
The project was ambitious from its inception. The first challenge was to secure public funding through a competitive process to create an event that would introduce culture and classical music to new audiences.
After the event’s concept, vision, and objectives were chosen by the selection committee from among hundreds of submissions, the next hurdle was to host two performances with ticket prices notably higher than what the local audience was accustomed to. This was essential not only to fund the production but also to generate revenue for future orchestra events, ensuring its ongoing growth and sustainability.
The Challenge
One of the greatest challenges was achieving a world-class production on an extremely limited budget for an immersive orchestral event.
Equally important was creating a compelling and dynamic promotional campaign to captivate a younger audience, fostering their interest and encouraging continued participation in the orchestra’s future events.
The production design drew inspiration from the original notes of composer Hector Berlioz, which were thoughtfully reimagined and elevated into a modern format, leveraging cutting-edge technology.
At the heart of the stage, the orchestra—comprising over 80 musicians—was bathed in carefully designed lighting. Behind them, three monumental banners served as dynamic canvases for abstract projections, vividly illustrating the shifting emotions and moods of the composer throughout each piece.
Production & Art Direction
Complementing the period furniture and decorations, four massive frames were installed to project scenes that brought to life the narrative of each symphony movement. Designed in a romantic style, these projections mimicked artworks of the era, guiding the audience through the story envisioned by the composer. Over 1hr. of video and 180 unique pieces were meticulously created, evolving seamlessly with the progression of the music.
Screenplay
To elevate the experience, a script inspired by Berlioz's notes was crafted and brought to life through a live performance by an actor.
Between movements, the actor delivered poignant monologues, embodying the composer’s internal dialogue at each stage of the symphony. These moments provided the audience with deeper insight into the gradual descent into madness that Berlioz so vividly depicted.
Beyond the lead actor, a dance ensemble and supporting performers brought the production to life by dramatizing key scenes in the balconies and corridors of the venue. This artistic approach created an immersive and dynamic experience, inviting the audience to shift their attention and explore different perspectives throughout the performance.
A two-month public relations, mailing and social media campaign was launched to promote the event.
Through targeted posts and ads on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, the campaign successfully set a record for attendance and revenue at an open event in the Central Courtyard of the ESMDM.
Event Marketing
The campaign was built around a series of teasers, trailers, and short videos designed to engage and captivate the target audience.
It also featured visually striking images representing each movement of the symphony, alongside informative posts about the composer, the historical significance of the work, and its narrative.