Live performers, artists and new technologies came together recently to create a wholly immersive opera experience in Union Station, Los Angeles, US.

Invisible Cities, a collaboration between The Industry and L.A. Dance Project, saw the use of 24 Sennheiser and Neumann wireless microphones in an orchestra pit, 16 wireless microphones strapped onto performers, 160 audience headphones sets and 15 in-ear monitors to achieve the wireless showcase.

Sennheiser worked in collaboration with California-based Bexel which custom built a Managed Antenna System (MAS) that allowed for extended coverage of Sennheiser’s wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and headsets. The system was then housed inside a section disguised as a bagel shop in the middle of the station.

The use of the technology allowed for uninterrupted interaction between all of the show’s performers and the audience members who were welcomed into the station.

Members of the audience were given specially crafted headphones to wear as they walked around the station, with the headphones picking up different parts of audio from the opera as they visited different scenes taking place around the station.

An orchestra's music was streamed to headphones and earphones from a location 1,000 feet away from the main hall of the station.

Based on Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel, the performance was written by Christopher Cerrone to follow Marco Polo’s explanations of each of the new cities the explorer visited on his travels.

However, there was no set narrative for the audience to follow as each person’s experience differed as they interacted with different scenes taking place, with audience members weaving in and out of performances and terminal passengers arriving and leaving the station.

It was noted that some audience members even passed their headphones to members of the general public who were using the station, with some choosing to get involved with the different scenes themselves.

A detailed exploration of the performance is available for viewing here