Wireless communications solutions from Clear-Com have been installed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia, by the supplier’s regional partner, Oltbert Business Development. The installation includes the FreeSpeak II digital wireless system and the Agent-IC mobile app.
The main Mariinsky Theatre building has undergone many reconstructions over the years and now seats more than 1,600 guests. A second theatre building, the Mariinsky II, was built behind the original in 2013, with seven storeys above ground and three below, boasting an auditorium that can seat 2,000 people.
Each building has a separate communications set-up. When it was built, the Mariinsky II installed a Clear-Com Eclipse HX digital matrix system, but production teams in the older building were relying on walkie-talkies. Recently, the theatre’s technical department began looking for a solution to update both buildings, harnessing the latest wireless technologies to improve communications.
“We were very happy with our Eclipse System in the Mariinsky II, so we were delighted to be able to integrate a FreeSpeak II wireless system into it, giving us the same reliable intercom but with additional flexibility that allows staff to move freely around this large building,” said Alexander Logvinov, leader of Mariinsky’s sound and audio department, Mariinsky II. “For the original theatre we installed a new standalone FreeSpeak II system, which has transformed the way our production staff communicates.”
The original theatre’s new FreeSpeak II system has two E1 transceivers with eight beltpacks. Its existing Eclipse matrix was upgraded to an Eclipse HX digital matrix system with the latest software that enables it to integrate with IP communications, digital wireless solutions and other devices.
The FreeSpeak II system in the Mariinsky II features six FreeSpeak II IP-T transceivers over AES67 PoE connection, with 16 beltpacks. The Clear-Com Agent-IC mobile app on iOS or Android devices is also available to extend the system if visiting productions require additional clients. The systems enable virtually everyone in each theatre to communicate, including front-of-house staff, stage managers, lighting teams and production managers.
“Theatre systems are in Clear-Com’s blood, but installations like this at such a historic venue are very special indeed,” said Nicki Fisher, sales director for Europe at Clear-Com. “We are honoured that Clear-Com systems are helping to bring the next generation of legendary performances to life at the Mariinsky Theatre.”
The Mariinsky Theatre is one of the world’s most prestigious theatres for opera and ballet. It has seen the premieres of important stage works from Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, while many legends of the ballet – such as Anna Pavlova, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Barishnikov – began their careers at the Mariinsky Theatre’s ballet school.
