Sydney Opera House + HP

The Sydney Opera House. It isn't just a piece of the Sydney skyline — it is the skyline. But it plays an even bigger role in the worldwide landscape of the performing arts. Every year, 4.5 million visitors make their way to Sydney Harbor to get a close look at one of the world's architectural marvels. Among them are 1.1 million people who purchase tickets to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, each expecting an experience as extraordinary as the building itself. HP technology helps make sure the Sydney Opera House delivers it, night after night, performance after performance.

The Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House plays host to some of the world's foremost performers and discerning audiences. Last year alone, Concert Hall audiences totaled more than 475,000. With 247 different performances featuring acts of differing sizes as well as different audience configurations, the Sydney Opera House required a versatile system to quickly create an optimal sound stage. So they turned to their long-time technology partner, HP.

Now, before a single musician takes the stage, sound engineers use acoustic mapping software powered by HP to anticipate how each amplified ensemble will sound inside the Concert Hall. This information helps determine accurate microphone placement, loudspeaker configuration and rigging. When the actual performers arrive, the sound engineers become mobile, using wireless HP Tablet PCs connected to high-definition microphones to further optimize the sound from any seat in the auditorium. Adjustments can even be made during a performance. So no matter where someone sits in the audience, their ears will always have the best seat in the house.

From powering their website and helping to ensure secure ticket sales to designing a wireless intranet that connects each part of the performing arts center to its offices across the harbor, HP has helped the Sydney Opera House remain not only at the forefront of the arts, but at the forefront of technology, too.

Sydney Opera House is a trademark of The Sydney Opera House Trust.