Muscat, (ONA) - The Royal Opera House, Muscat, will celebrate tomorrow, Monday, October 12, the ninth anniversary of its inauguration, at a time when it has achieved phenomenal success in cultural communication and high-end arts fields with various countries of the world, and has affected life during the past years with artistic, cultural and educational programs.
On this occasion, the house released a new production of songs titled “Great Glory”, which is a new patriotic song that captures the process of renewed renaissance in the glorious era of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.
The various works presented by the Royal Opera House Muscat showcase the richness and diversity of artistic creations from the Sultanate, the region and the world. It provides ample space for culture, social and economic development and its implications. t also inspires its audiences and nurtures their creativity through innovative programs that enhance cultural vitality, unleash talent, as well as promote cultural tourism. It emphasizes the role of art as a diplomatic mediator by spreading the spirit of rapprochement between different peoples of the world, and promoting communication and cultural exchange.
The inauguration of the Royal Opera House Muscat, which took place under the patronage of Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur in October 2011, stems from the importance of cultural development as one of the fruits of the blessed renaissance and its effective role in the rapprochement between civilizations, and the beginning of a new phase of continuous efforts to enhance the field of Omani heritage arts and interaction with international culture and arts, in addition to the fusion of local heritage with modernity in the Royal Opera House, which is a milestone that demonstrates the extent of interest in civilizational openness to the world, and the cultural diversity of which Oman is proud.
Over the past years, the Royal Opera House Muscat has provided many fine arts and innovative programs that support areas of knowledge and inspiration for all visitors from Oman and around the world, hosting many operatic artworks and concerts of world heritage, and many cultural and artistic gatherings and charming sounds that achieved wide international presence and fame.
In addition to holding other cultural events, the Opera House has achieved success since its inception until now in light of the efforts exerted, in addition to the works it presents.
In terms of architecture, the Royal Opera House is considered an architectural masterpiece in its establishment, the traditional Omani Arab and Islamic architecture and the elements of this architecture were invested to serve the target purposes, in addition to taking into account the harmony between the various elements and formations, taking into account the selection of the appropriate materials for which Arab-Islamic architecture is famous, such as the use of large stones and wood that are decorated with delicate and intricate carvings, in addition to the historical inspirations derived from the architectural heritage of the region.
The Royal Opera House was built on a vast area of eighty thousand square meters in an area close to Al Qurum Beach in the capital, Muscat. The built-up area is more than twenty-five thousand square meters. The site of the opera house extends from west to east, bounded on the north by Al Kharjiyah Street, and from the south by Sultan Qaboos Street. To the far west, there is a car park dedicated to guests of the Opera House, and it is linked through an elevated walkway to the commercial complex that contains shops, restaurants and galleries, and directly in front of the car park is the large square which is a large open courtyard located next to the Opera House, and is designed to host outdoor performances. The square has been provided with audio and visual support that enables it to host various types of shows and events such as plays and concerts. The square overlooks the balconies of restaurants in the commercial complex.
The opera building itself is built on eight floors, three of which are underground, while five are above them. The opera building extends from the north to the south of the site, and the building is crossed by two colonnades that extend on the east and west sides. At the northern end of the west portico is a theater (studio) also called “black box” that can host events with around 80 people attending. From this corridor, one can also access the main building via a balcony leading to the square foyer that contains the ticket building. The facade of the building is located on the south side, and the roofing there allows parking for the guests to enter from inside the inner south hall and from there to the main lobby of the Opera House. Inside the opera house is the main hall that can host 110 people and is located on the north-south side of the building. The main building can also be accessed via the east portico through the east hall. The floor also contains two reception halls on each of the east and west sides of the building, in addition to a private suite for VIPs. On the same side of the building there is a beautifully designed road dedicated to the Royal Parade that leads to the Royal Reception Foyer and overlooks the gardens and a large green area that forms an additional exhibition area. The northern end of the building contains the stage with a movable stage cover and a roofed area through which the stage can be directly accessed to upload and download scenes, equipment and fixtures. The farthest end of the building contains administrative offices and fashion changing rooms. The upper areas of the building, namely the seventh and eighth floors of the building, contain more facilities for outdoor activities. The eighth floor overlooks beautiful scenes, as it overlooks the sea from the north and the mountains from the south.
During the past year, the Musical Arts House was inaugurated, which is a new addition to the Royal Opera House Muscat, in order to promote the arts and civilized communication with all countries that have a long artistic heritage to enhance artistic and cultural cooperation with them.
The establishment of the House of Musical Arts came to complement the roles with what the Royal Opera House Muscat is doing by focusing on other educational aspects through the permanent cultural art exhibition in the house in which modern technologies will be used, in addition to visiting exhibitions and cultural lectures that shed light on the development of arts through the ages and its connection with the diversity that the world witnessed at every stage of its history.
(ONA)