Sao Paulo's Teatro Municipal Gets a Rigging Upgrade

Inaugurated in the fall of 1911, the Teatro Municipal was long overdue for modernization of its theatrical systems.

The Teatro Municipal de São Paulo has long been recognized as Brazil’s premier performing arts venue. Inaugurated in September 1911, its storied past has included performances by Enrico Caruso, Renata Tebaldi, Maria Callas, Villa Lobos, Toscanini, Nijinski, Anna Pavlova, and Isadora Duncan. Today that tradition continues with performances by orchestras, opera companies, and dance companies from around the world, including the Cleveland Symphony and the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Over the course of the years, the Teatro Municipal has undergone the maintenance and modifications that one would expect for a performing arts facility. The period between 1952 and 1983, however, saw a serious decline in its fortunes. Between 1983 and 1985 a major restoration of the exterior and interior of the theater was completed that restored the Teatro Municipal to its original glory.

In the fall of 2005 the theater, under the artistic direction of Maestro Jamil Maluf, began to plan for a renovation and upgrade of the stage area and the theatrical systems (which had not been a priority during the 1983 restoration.) Specific areas to be addressed are the counterweight rigging system, which cannot meet today’s requirements for scenery and lighting; the stage dimming system, which is undersized by current standards; the sound system, that has never been treated comprehensively; and the creation of a new orchestra enclosure (shell) to improve orchestral acoustics for both musicians and audience.

The project team for the current renovation is lead by Jose Augusto Nepomuceno, principal of Acustica & Sonica whose charge is the coordination of the entire design. Working with Acustica & Sonica are: Michael Mell, ASTC, president of THEATER DESIGN INC; Ismael Solé, president of Solé & Associados and Anthony Notti, partner in the firm, Akustiks.