Fidelio

Following the enormous success of his conceptions for Madama Butterfly, the Opera Company of Philadelphia quickly invited Jun Kaneko to create the scenery and costumes for their 2008 production of Beethoven’s Fidelio. Primary colors, polka dots, grids, and animated projections were again employed in his modernist design for the costumes, sets, and props. Clark Creative Group, which had previously collaborated with Jun for the projections in Madama Butterfly, provided essential technical support in achieving the complex animations and graphics necessary for the successful execution of Jun’s stage and set designs. Costumes were constructed in-house at the Opera Company of Philadelphia Costume Shop, where careful attention was given to the sculptural nature of Kaneko’s designs. 

Writing about his creative approach, Kaneko says that his goal in designing for opera is “to extract a design that emerges from the essence of the music rather than to decorate its story. The design I create needs to integrate with the music naturally and spontaneously so that we feel the music and design as one unified expression.”

Kaneko’s interpretation of Fidelio has been performed by Opera Omaha, Omaha, NE (2015) and the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA (2008).