The Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam has invested in four Robe iFORTE LTX moving lights equipped with the HCF (High Colour Fidelity) engine. They are installed in the 1,600-seat main auditorium and are used for performer tracking (followspot), complementing the traditional followspot fixtures.
The luminaires are installed on a front-of-house bridge with a 25-metre throw to the stage. These are the first iFORTE LTX HCF units to be installed in the Netherlands. The Dutch National Opera is renowned for its creative energy, the high quality of its productions, and its international collaborations. It shares a purpose-designed and purpose-built venue in the heart of Amsterdam with the Dutch National Ballet.
Head of Lighting Andi Krijgsman explains that they were looking for a powerful, high-quality light source for followspot use, capable of zooming down to under 4 degrees in order to frame half-body shots and close-ups of faces when required. An excellent CRI was also essential to reproduce realistic skin tones.
Andi Krijgsman worked closely with Romec Berendsen and Jelle van der Holst, sales managers at Controllux (Robe’s Benelux distributor), who coordinate the Opera’s technical requirements. After testing and a series of technical shoot-outs, the decision was made to invest in the iFORTE LTX fixtures.
“We absolutely love these fixtures,” says Andi. “They are exactly what we were looking for true high-quality long-throw luminaires with perfect colour mixing and rendering!”
Romec adds that it is “very exciting” to see such a prestigious institution as the Opera invest in the country’s first iFORTE LTX HCF units. Andi has held this position at the Opera since 2021. Prior to that, he was touring as team leader and lighting manager at RO Theatre in Rotterdam (which merged with Rotterdamse Schouwburg to become Theater Rotterdam in 2016).
During that time, he purchased several Robe LEDWash 600 and T1 Profile fixtures, becoming familiar with the brand and appreciating the reliability of its products. The Opera already had a number of Robe fixtures in the building, including LEDBeam 150 units in the foyer as well as some older fixtures from the ColorSpot 1200 series.
More recently, a visit to the Robe factory in the Czech Republic with three colleagues from the Opera allowed him to fully appreciate the possibilities offered by Robe’s latest technologies.
He was impressed by the entire manufacturing process and by the meticulous attention of the R&D team in meeting theatre requirements in every detail with the iSeries.
He particularly appreciated the way this new generation of products is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Opera’s sACN control networks.
For more information, visit the Robe Lighting website
