Community Impact through Fidelio
Deaf communities across the globe
Throughout the 2024 European tour of Fidelio, Deaf West Theatre, LA Phil, Coro de Manos Blancas, and the Dudamel Foundation organized a series of community engagement activities designed to cultivate empowering and inclusive experiences for Deaf communities spanning the United States, Venezuela, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom.
The initiatives aimed to unite Deaf and hearing communities worldwide, who share a passion for theater, the arts, and music. By fostering connections and promoting cultural exchange, the community embrace created inclusive and accessible environments for Deaf audiences in the performing arts. The cultural impact holds particular significance because, for many participants, it marked their first experience with opera. Through these activities, Fidelio redefined accessibility in the performing arts and contributed to the global conversation on the significance of Deaf inclusion in cultural programming.
Barcelona, Spain
May 27, 2024
In partnership with Federació de Persones Sordes de Catalunya (FESOCA) and the Liceu Opera House, Barcelona community outreach efforts focused on fostering connections between the Deaf communities of the United States, Venezuela, and Spain. Members of 23 Deaf community organizations throughout the region were invited to the Liceu Opera House for a guided tour, a dress rehearsal of Fidelio, and a meet-and-greet panel discussion with the cast and creative team of Fidelio, presented in multiple languages simultaneously — Spanish Sign Language (LSE), Catalán Sign Language (LSC), Venezuelan Sign Language (LSV), American Sign Language (ASL), English, Spanish, and Catalán.
Members of the Deaf community also had access to the LiceuApropa €5 ticket program, which granted prime view seating for Fidelio. For many, it was their first time ever in the Liceu Opera House. These encounters hope to inspire future collaborations between local Deaf artists and the Liceu.
📸 (Top 1–4) Fidelio at Gran Teatre del Liceu, May 2024, photography by David Ruano.
📸 (Bottom 5–8) The cast of Fidelio, Deaf West Theatre, Coro de Manos Blancas, and community members from Federació de Persones Sordes de Catalunya (FESOCA) meet at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, May 2024.
Paris, France
May 31, 2024
In partnership with the Philharmonie de Paris and Elodia Mottot, a pre-concert panel discussion featuring the cast and creative team of Fidelio opened the door to members of the local Deaf community of Paris. In partnership with the Philharmonie de Paris and Elodia Mottot, a pre-concert panel discussion featuring the cast and creative team of Fidelio opened the door to members of the local Deaf community of Paris. The event focused on building bonds between the Deaf communities of the United States, Venezuela, and France.
The pre-concert panel discussion in Paris was presented in five languages simultaneously: American Sign Language (ASL), Venezuelan Sign Language (LSV), French Sign Language (LSF), English, and French. Members of the Deaf community also received premium seating ticket discounts.
The event welcomed local Deaf community members of Paris to the Philharmonie de Paris, many for the first time. It inspired future collaborations between local Deaf artists and the Philharmonie.
📸 (Top 1–4) Fidelio at the Philharmonie de Paris, May 2024. Photography from the Philharmonie de Paris (c) Ondine Bertrand/Cheeese.
📸 (Bottom 5–8) The cast of Fidelio, Deaf West Theatre, Coro de Manos Blancas, and Deaf community members from France meet at the Philharmonie de Paris, May 2024.
London, UK
June 3, 2024
📸 (Top 1–3) Gustavo Dudamel conducts Fidelio, May 2024, photography by David Ruano. DJ Kurs and Alberto Arvelo in rehearsal in Los Angeles, CA, photography by Chad Unger.
📸 (Middle 4) Fidelio at the Barbican Centre, June 2024, photography by Mark Allan.
📸 (Bottom 5–6) The cast of Fidelio, Deaf West Theatre, Coro de Manos Blancas, and Deaf community members from the UK meet at the Barbican Centre, June 2024.
In London, the Barbican Centre hosted a pre-concert talk, in partnership with Deafinitely Theatre Artistic Director Paula Garfield, focused on artistic creativity with perspectives from Deaf performers from the United States, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom. The event welcomed members of the local Deaf community of London to the Barbican Centre, many for the first time, and hoped to inspire future collaborations between the Barbican and its local Deaf artists.
Chords of Harmony
Barcelona, Spain
May 27, 2024
📸 (Top 1–3, Middle 4) Chord of Harmony at the Palau de la Musica, May 2024, photography by Charo Mangas.
📸 (Bottom 4–5) Chord of Harmony at the Palau de la Musica, May 2024, photography by Toni Bofill.
On May 27, 2024, Gustavo Dudamel and members of the Coro de Manos Blancas joined a youth ensemble of students from around the world for “Chords of Harmony”, a free community concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona featuring the final movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral”.
SPECIAL THANKS
Deaf West Theatre
DJ Kurs
Jeff Perri
Jason Zammit
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Meghan Umber
Michael Vitale
Daniel Mallampalli
Laura Hill
FESOCA
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Victor Garcia de Gomar
Irene Calvis
Miriam Martín Ferrer
Leticia Martín
Carlota Boronat
Marina Longares Escrichs
Philharmonie de Paris
Lisa Ageev
Marine Renoir
Helen Lamotte
Elodia Mottot
The Barbican Centre
Zaira Perina
Kirsty Harris
Lucy Barrie
Paula Garfield
Alberto Arvelo
Coro de Manos Blancas
Luis Chinchilla
María Inmaculada Velásquez Echeverría
María Estefanía Prieto Quero
Alejandro Rosales
Daniel Vielma
Jesús López Timaure
Dodanim Castillo
Gabriel Linarez
José Gabriel Abarca Abarca
Alfonso José López Timaure
Alejandro Rivero Giménez
César Alejandro Rodríguez
Dayana Onofrietti Gómez
Yessica Montes de Oca
Jennifer González
Yeison Nohe Escobar Almao
Dudamel Foundation
Gustavo Dudamel
María Valverde
Jacob Slattery
Colin Analco
Erin Lensing
Amelia Hensley
Tamara Wilson
Daniel Durant
Andrew Staples
Sophia Morales
Gabriella Reyes
Otis Jones
David Portillo
Hector Reynoso
James Rutherford
Giovanni Maucere
Shenyang
Patrick Blackwell
Mervin Primeaux-O'Bryant
Bridget Berrigan
Mark Newbanks
Jessica Harmer
Andrew Ousley
Mackenzie Horne
Gabriela Camejo
Rose Hirschel
Meredith Greenburg
Elsje Kibler-Vermaas
Gaudy Sánchez
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Learn more about Fidelio
Learn more about Gustavo Dudamel's innovative production of Beethoven's Fidelio, which highlights the composer's deafness and features Deaf performers at its core.