Launched in late 2011, Opera Online is a new and innovative way of discovering the world of opera online. With the goal of becoming the go-to destination of amateurs and professionals for all things opera, Opera Online combines on a single platform:

• A robust Encyclopedic database
• A community site
• An event database

CHALLENGES

Business Challenges

Opera is an art form that has long enjoyed an elitist image; opera-goers are known as connoisseurs. In recent years, however, many attempts have been made to shake off this image of opera and bring it into the mainstream, with opera now available on most traditional media, including television, radio and video.

The one medium where opera accessibility has largely been unavailable to audiences is the Internet. Given that the Internet is undoubtedly the most widely used media by consumers, creating an online platform wholly dedicated to the world of lyric art was a strategic project for Opera Online. And since no similar platform existed previously, Opera Online had the objective and unique opportunity of becoming the first of its kind.

Project Challenges

• Understanding the universe and concepts of lyric art, and applying them in an online platform.
• Designing a user experience leveraging the richness of the various existing media and creating links between them.
• Integrating both editorial and social features into one platform.

RESULTS

• A socially integrated, interactive online community platform for opera lovers to discover the world of opera and connect with other likeminded people.
• With Encyclopera – the Encyclopedic database – Opera Online provides its visitors with a robust and powerful platform for discovering the world of opera through an intuitive experience and inter-linked, rich and modular content – a true 2.0 opera experience.
• Advanced social features make it a snap for Opera Online columnists to add and share their points of view.
• A full-function and user-friendly back office allowing users to set up and manage role-based access rights.