PRESS RELEASE
Kontakt 2 software will be used for the Northwest Premiere of Elton John’s AIDA. Developed by Berlin, Germany based Native Instruments, Kontakt 2 is a virtual synthesizer software application used primarily for high end audio production and sampling.
Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA plot is based loosely on the original opera by VERDI written more than a hundred years ago. Elton John’s updated musical includes a rock score incorporating multiple guitars, percussionists and traditional orchestral instruments.
“We have a pit group of 10 musicians that includes seven keyboards performed by three players”, says musical director Conrad Askland. “Kontakt 2 will be utilized for performance of specialized world percussion, music effects and industrial foley.”
Askland says tech support at Native Instruments has been extremely helpful in assisting with utilizing the software on a laptop for the performances. Sound files used for the production will include sound effects from the Sony Music Library as well as Canada based foley effects provider SOUND IDEAS.
“The production of AIDA takes place in Egypt and calls for very detailed soundscapes during scene changes, dances and interlude music. Even with our small army of pit musicians including a dedicated world percussionist, they are hard pressed to deliver all of the sounds needed for a world class performance. Kontakt 2 will allow us to fill in with detailed samples of world percussion instruments and authentic native performances that would have been cost prohibitive to deliver with real instruments, ” says Askland.
The Northwest premiere of AIDA is produced by the Theatre Arts Guild in Skagit County, Washington and will run at the new McIntyre Hall from March 24th to April 9th, 2006. Ticket and venue information at mcintyrehall.org