Royal Opera House Muscat’s Oman and the World: A Musical Journey
1 Jun 2022
‘Oman and the World: A Musical Journey’ is a new permanent exhibition for the Royal Opera House Muscat House of Musical Arts, which opens today! The exhibition is housed in the heart of the new Muscat cultural district, in an exquisitely designed 850m2 space, incorporating cutting edge interactive technology. It takes visitors on a journey through the sounds and music of Oman and the world, diving into the key components of how we understand and express music.
Our role encompassed Acoustic Design, Audio System Design and all sound and music content creation from concept to creation to installation, across soundscapes, AV and interactives. It was a real treat to have the chance to unpack the artforms we work with everyday for audiences, devising engaging and accessible ways to communicate the fundamentals of music and sound.
We worked closely with a brilliant team, from exhibition designers 59 Productions, who have extensive experience in designing engaging and compelling interactive exhibits and multimedia experiences, to creative lighting designers DHA Designs and the ROHM’s in-house curator Tom Nelson.
The exhibition charts our story of music — from our early inspirations found in nature, through to the science and techniques of instrumentation, to the role music plays in our lives and social gatherings. Each zone explores a different fundamental element of music..
NATURE
The first space, travels across the diverse landscapes of Oman, immersing the visitor in their soundscapes populated by birdsong, insects, trees and rivers via a large array of 35 ceiling speakers — the sounds of nature gradually evolve into musical motifs ..
SCALES
We worked closely with Unusual Projects on the realisation of the interactives in this section, devising creative and accessible ways to demonstrate the underlying universal elements of music, like pitch, pulse and scales.
INSTRUMENTS
Playful physical interactives unpack the physics and organisation of different instrument typologies, and contextualise them historically and culturally.
MAKING
Taking the oud as an example, this space explores the relationship between instrument makers and performers.
SOCIAL CONTEXT
A kaleidoscope of musical cultures and rituals from all over the world.
PARTICIPATION
A communal drumming experience celebrating rhythm traditions from Oman, Brazil, Japan and Java..
ARTIST STATIONS
Three interactive booths that allow you to dive into the work of different musicians and composers from Puccini to Fairuz, Little Richard to Zakir Hussein.
COMPOSER
Fun interactive software that gives you the chance to compose variations and re-orchestrate pieces of of some iconic instrumental pieces.
PERFORMANCE
This finale space allows you to step inside an orchestra and experience the sound like you’ve never heard it before.
If you’d like to find out more about our sound work or would like to talk to us about your project, head over to our website here
