Ontario Tech Stages World’s First AI-Infused Opera: Meladramma-AI

The world's first AI adaptation of an opera has redefined the boundaries of performance, uniting timeless artistry with cutting-edge technology. Premiered at Ontario Tech University's historic Regent Theatre in Oshawa on September 21, Meladramma-AI brought together live singers, dancers, concert pianist and AI-driven creativity to transform opera for a new century.

The production is the brainchild of Dr. Carolyn McGregor AM, Dean, Faculty of Business and Information Technology, and renowned Albanian composer Olsa Toqi, in collaboration with Toqi's mentor and celebrated opera innovator Girolamo Deraco, President of the Puccini International Opera Composition Academy Luccain Italy.

A Classic Reinvented Through AI

Based on Toqi's original chamber opera Meladramma, which explored themes of temptation and morality through seven arias, this adaptation pushed the genre into a new realm, where AI becomes a tool and a thematic voice in the storytelling. Each aria showcased a unique application of AI: generating evocative imagery, interpreting human emotion, and even grappling with moral dilemmas.

Four live opera singers, dancers, concert pianist and immersive staging, Meladramma-AI brought to life timeless themes like curiosity and the search for balance, symbolized through the recurring motif of the apple. The performance was more than a display of innovation. It was a philosophical inquiry, inviting the audience to consider how technology can amplify creativity while also challenging our understanding of ethics and artistry.

"We're demonstrating that AI is not only a tool but also a collaborator, one that sparks dialogue about the boundaries of art and the moral questions that accompany innovation," says Dr. McGregor.

Students at the Heart of Innovation

Beyond its artistic achievement, Meladramma-AI also spotlighted Ontario Tech's commitment to experiential learning. Students from the CEWIL funded work integrated learning program and the XBIT 2500 Experience Workshop courseworked hand-in-hand with Toqi and Dr. McGregor, as well as FBIT game development and interactive media researcher Dr. Andrew Hogue, and supported by experiential learning lead Amanda McEachern Gaudet.

With funding from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada, students helped integrate AI tools into the performance, gaining hands-on experience with emerging technologies in creative fields. All proceeds from the premiere will support scholarships and learning opportunities for GDIM students.

"As Ontario Tech explores AI's transformative power across industries, Meladramma-AI is not only a world-first; it's a powerful conversation starter about the role of technology in art, ethics and education," says Dr. McGregor.

A Symbol for the Future

Notably, the heart-shaped Meladramma-AI emblem, a robotic hand grasping a natural apple on one side, and a human hand holding a digital apple on the other, symbolizes technology and humanity in dialogue, shaping a future where conscience and innovation intertwine.

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