Teatro di San Carlo: Merging Tradition and Innovation with ETC

Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest continuously running opera house in the world, is based in the historical heart of Naples. Renowned worldwide for its rich musical tradition, it presents over 250 performances of opera, ballet, and music every year. As a leading cultural hub in Naples and one of Italy's most esteemed theatres, it features a state-of-the-art lighting system equipped with numerous ETC products. These choices reflect the proven quality of ETC products and the strong rapport between the theatre's management and the ETC Italia team.

Nunzio Perrella, head of the lighting department and lighting designer, has had a long career at San Carlo, inspired by his father, who was also the venue's lighting designer. Starting young, Perrella staged small performances in his early teens and became a chief electrician for touring companies by his late teens. After gaining experience in television and touring with renowned artists across Italy, Perrella returned to Teatro di San Carlo at 23 as a stage electrician. He worked as a console operator for 18 years before briefly serving as the deputy chief electrician. Following his predecessor's retirement, he was promoted to chief electrician. This period coincided with a major shift in the professional lighting industry, particularly in the theatre field.

"Those were the years when LED products began emerging in the market. Needing new lighting fixtures that could match the quality of incandescent ones, I turned to ETC, a company I've always trusted," Perrella remarks. "Our first test was with ETC's Source Four LED, and the results were immediately impressive."

In the years that followed, Teatro di San Carlo continued to upgrade with the Source Four LED Series 2 and later the Series 3, including the Source Four LED Series 3 Daylight HDR. "All these products offer excellent light quality, but their seamless integration with incandescent fixtures, thanks to their color accuracy, sets them apart. Here at San Carlo, where we host many lighting designers, no one could ever frown upon an ETC Source Four," says Perrella.

To keep up with evolving trends and enhance its equipment inventory, the theatre recently acquired a selection of automated lighting fixtures, again choosing ETC. "On the moving light front, we have numerous SolaFrame fixtures and, notably, among the first in Italy, many Lonestars,” says Perrella. “The choice was influenced by the constraints imposed by the cultural heritage authorities associated with the theatre. We needed an excellent product with compact dimensions, and the Lonestar perfectly met our criteria: outstanding performance, excellent colors, compact and manageable. Those who see it for the first time are truly impressed."

All these fixtures required a powerful, modern, and flexible console tailored to the unique demands of a theatrical lighting operator. The ideal choice? Eos Apex. "An Eos Apex 5 console arrived first, later followed by two Apex 10s,” Perrella shares. “From what we've seen, along with our operators, Apex is an incredibly powerful, intuitive console, and aesthetically pleasing too. We've only scratched the surface of its immense capabilities. Among the features that impressed me are the backlit control surface, the large touchscreen with excellent responsiveness, and numerous shortcuts that simplify our work."

Teatro di San Carlo also entrusted ETC with power control, implementing Sensor3. "We already have a Sensor3 system installed, and another, soon to be operational, will manage LED lighting in the auditorium. It seemed logical to maintain a ‘basic philosophy,’ using and optimizing ETC equipment to create a comprehensive system that works seamlessly together."

Teatro di San Carlo's journey of innovation is well underway, with plans to add even more new technologies and products, reaffirming Perrella and his team's commitment to elevating the theatre's excellence in Italy and beyond.