“A once-in-a-lifetime experience” is how one RCS student described being given an exclusive look behind the scenes at two historic Paris opera houses.

Production Arts and Design, Production Technology and Management and Vocal Performance students, and Scenic Art lecturer Gary Fry, spent two days at the Paris Opera, officially known as Opéra national de Paris, touring its two opera houses, the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, including areas the public never get to see.

They also met with staff from both venues and concluded the trip with seeing L’Isola disabitata.

Here’s what students had to say about the experience:

Murron Goodall, Production Arts and Design: “Having the opportunity to see the workshops for the Bastille and Garnier theatres in Paris was a once-in-a lifetime experience which I will never forget.”

Laura Konrad, MMus Performance: “As a Master’s student preparing to enter the professional world, getting to peek behind the curtain and learn about the inner workings of a big opera house shed light on many aspects of opera I had never considered before.

“As a singer, I don’t usually get to see what happens before a show reaches the stage. Witnessing the immense effort and teamwork that goes into a production from start to finish was eye-opening.”

Emma Moran, Production Arts and Design: “Every staff member was very informative and inspiring for us to see the adoration they had for their work, especially in the iconic location they get to practice in.

“It was valuable learning how the production process evolves for everyone and how important every single member in the building works towards a production at such a grand scale. Seeing the magnitude they get to work at really filled us all with such drive and admiration.”

Lizzy Tagtmeyer, BMus Performance: “I loved that staff gave us the opportunity to ask questions and have real conversations about what they do. I loved that Nathalie gave us inside information about each building and its history that we wouldn’t have learned otherwise. I feel like the meetings and tours were incredibly valuable for us as students and for our future endeavours.”

Iona Allan, Production Arts and Design: “I can’t recommend the trip enough and have been non-stop talking about it since I’ve come back to Glasgow, I feel it was extremely interesting and beneficial as a costume maker and production student and would definitely push for other students in all areas of production and opera to take the opportunity to attend if it was to be offered again.”

Lizzie Fletcher, MA Performance: “As a singing student, we only ever learn and focus on our own individual technique and stagecraft, but this trip enabled me to learn and understand a lot more about all the other aspects that go into putting on an opera.”

Emily Lumley, Production Technology and Management: “The two meetings with the stage manager and artistic director of the Academy were very interesting. To be so early in my career and getting the chance to speak to these professionals has helped me understand the industry even better and made me even more curious into opera and my place in it.”

Main image: The students in the Bastille Opera House with the set for the ballet Sleeping Beauty.