Project title: Permafrost
Summary
Operatic trilogy „PERMAFROST“ is an interdisciplinary project by composer Olga Janković. The trilogy strives towards the transformation and restoration of the opera genre and the popularization of contemporary art in the Western Balkans, through the merging of new technologies with contemporary art and addressing the intangible cultural heritage in the field of music and performing arts.
“Permafrost” (- permanently frozen layer on or under Earth's surface) consists of 3 chamber operas, and is exploring all those eternal questions that we are afraid to ask ourselves. Questions that are left eternally frozen, topics that we "bury and freeze" deep inside of our minds, just like Permafrost. The operatic trilogy calls for openness, honesty and courage to face and, when necessary, - confront the biggest questions and dilemmas of our society and ourselves.
The main innovative aspect of this project is the employment of the Unreal Engine, as well as the application for creation of realistic digital humans developed by Serbian studio “3Lateral (Epic Games)” – MetaHuman Creator, for the first time in contemporary classical music - to make digital characters as equal participants in the narrative of the operatic performance. That’s why we unofficially call Permafrost – trilogy of MetaHuman operas.
Project author
Olga Jankovic is a music composer with a wide range of interests and competences in several creative industries. Starting with contemporary art music, in which field he is completing her PhD at the Belgrade University of Arts, through composing and organizing experimental performances and interdisciplinary projects, all the way to music for film and video games.
Olga gathered around her a team of professionals, artists and other creative people from various fields, in order to make the art scene more exciting, "open" and modern, realizing high-quality inspiring ideas. Olga is currently employed at the FMU in Belgrade as a Trainee Researcher (composition), and is working on the MH trilogy "Permafrost" and the full CGA video opera "It Will Rain".