Explore baroque opera with all your senses

In early 2027, the new and the old collide when the baroque opera La Calisto invites the audience to an immersive experience of its world.

Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto, based on a Greek myth, had its world premiere in 1651. In this new interpretation of the tragedy, the protagonist Calisto, a beautiful nymph, refuses to accept the role of a sacrificial virgin imposed upon her. But can you refuse victimhood, and what is the role of the surrounding community as an enabler of abusive power? The work, which dates back nearly 400 years, is presented to the modern viewer as a contemporary essay on distance and the roles we assign and assume.

The multi-sensory, communal and spatial experience offers surprising new perspectives on both opera and immersive performance. The new interpretation is a co-production of 00100ENSEMBLE, The Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) and the Finnish National Opera.

The visual and spatial world of the work is designed by a team specialised in immersive performances and assembled by 00100ENSEMBLE. Their experiential interpretation plunges the audience into the middle of the events onstage. As the pioneer of early music, FiBO, and the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera join forces, La Calisto is invigorated with bold arrangement and colourful orchestration. The performance also features other music by Cavalli and his contemporaries, along with improvised soundscapes.

The performance is part of a three-year collaboration of the Finnish National Opera and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra FiBO, funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. Learn more about the collaboration.