In a year of unprecedented theatre renovations in Russia, one of the most ambitious has been the £7.5m restoration of the Mikhailovsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet in St Petersburg. In just four months, the theatre renovated the hall, stage, lobby, orchestra pit, plumbing, heating and electrical systems, plus the building's roof and façade, all in time to kick off its new season. At the same time, the Mikhailovsky overhauled its lighting system, outfitting its stage with equipment from ETC.
In Moscow, The new multi-purpose ballroom and conference facility at the Holiday Inn Sokolniki hotel has been installed with over 60 Robe moving lights and colour mix fixtures, all custom finished in white to compliment the surrounding interiors.
On the educational front, The University of Glamorgan has recently teamed up with MA Lighting to offer training on the grandMA range of lighting consoles. Level 1 and Level 2 training courses are to be held at the University's facility in Treforest during May.
In the US, industry pioneer John Eargle was posthumously awarded the 2008 Technical Grammy Award at the Special Merit Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. "John Eargle left an everlasting and profound impression on the audio industry," said Mark Gander, vice president of Marketing, JBL Professional, who accepted the Grammy Award on behalf of John Eargle. "He was a brilliant engineer, musician, author and teacher. His 2008 Technical Grammy Award commemorates the industry-wide recognition of John's accomplishments, as well as the considerable time he devoted to sharing his expertise, experience and wisdom."
(Jim Evans)
