It was such a great dream that it was difficult to believe it would ever come true. With ambition and determination, we pursued it for almost three years: we invested the acoustic and visual masterpiece created by Charles Garnier, an iconoclastic and visionary challenger. We partnered with the Paris Opera, a symbol of excellence and a true mastodon in the world of culture with a long-established international reputation.
The Paris Opera fully accepted to entertain our dream, based on a shared vision of excellence and strong ties to France's musical and historical heritage. Together, we have conceived an exceptional partnership. The first steps of this partnership took shape with the opening of a Devialet Area within the Palais Garnier, and the launch of a unique Phantom combining a landmark French institution with the new wave of tech innovation in France.
The Devialet sound discovery area opened at the Palais Garnier in 2017, ideally located in the west area of the Grand Vestibule. This space has been designed as a minimal setting with sophisticated details, and overseen by the chief architect of France's historic monuments and the regional directorate of cultural affairs. Within this space, the Phantoms Opéra de Paris | Devialet shines as exceptional technological masterpieces.
Guests will witness not one Phantom or Phantom duo, but an entire orchestra of 16 Phantoms delivering the purest, most profound emotion that sound can possibly deliver within the walls of a venerable temple to sound itself.
For the Paris Opera, Devialet conceived a special edition of Phantom, an outstanding piece of engineering protected by more than 100 patents. A result of the relentless quest of our engineers, Phantom emits ultra-dense sound with physical impact, delivering a deeply emotional and overwhelming acoustic experience that is in line with the Paris Opera heritage of excellence. Inspired by the iconic gilded interiors of the space, Phantom Opéra de Paris | Devialet features the Paris Opera logo and gold leaf side plates finished by Ateliers Gohard, who also restores the gold of the Opéra Garnier.
"The gilded Phantom Opéra de Paris | Devialet speakers born from our association incarnate the values of technological innovation as well as the quest for sound and musical perfection shared between the Paris Opera and Devialet. Resolutely forward-looking, we aim at developing new collaborations which will contribute to the outreach of the Opera and support its artistic programming, upholding French excellence everywhere in the world."
Alexander Neef, director general of the Paris Opera