Immersive Symphony and Opera Transform Historic Miami Beach Synagogue with Projection Mapping Magic
Immersive Symphony and Opera Transform Historic Miami Beach Synagogue with Projection Mapping Magic
A landmark of Miami Beach is getting a dazzling, high-tech upgrade—and it’s not a nightclub or hotel rooftop. The historic Temple Emanu-El, a 1948 synagogue at the corner of 17th Street and Washington Avenue, is now home to a stunning projection mapping system, turning symphonic and operatic performances into fully immersive art experiences.This transformation is part of the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival (MBCMF), an annual event founded by conductor Michael Rossi, who hopes to attract new audiences by merging classical music with modern visual technology.
A New Era of Sound and Light
For the first time, the festival is utilizing a permanently installed projection mapping system inside the synagogue’s ballroom. The technology—previously used to illuminate landmarks like Disney’s Cinderella Castle—allows artists to digitally wrap video projections around curved walls, domes, and ceilings, creating a sensory-rich environment where audiences are literally inside the performance.“We put the entire audience inside of the set with projections,” says Rossi. “Last year, we did a ‘space symphony’ with Holst’s The Planets. It felt like a Disney ride—you were flying from one planet to another and the entire room was part of the journey.”
That seven-week performance run was so popular, Rossi and his team knew they had tapped into something bigger: a new way to experience classical music that blends tradition with technological wonder.
From Holiday Lights to High Culture
Rossi was first inspired by projection mapping during a visit to Walt Disney World, where he saw how digital light transformed Cinderella Castle into a storytelling canvas. Fascinated, he experimented with the concept on his own Miami Beach home’s holiday lighting display, which caught the attention of locals and sponsors like The Betsy Hotel.Eventually, the concept gained the support of the City of Miami Beach, through funding made available by the $439 million General Obligation Bond passed in 2018. That investment has now helped establish Temple Emanu-El as an unexpected new arts venue, right in the heart of a cultural corridor that includes The Fillmore Miami Beach and the New World Center.
Elevating Tradition with Innovation
While the synagogue remains a sacred space, its ballroom has become a canvas for creativity. With upcoming performances planned for the summer season, including opera and large-scale symphonic works, MBCMF is turning heads with a format that reimagines the classical concert for modern audiences.The immersive performances remain family-friendly, inclusive, and accessible, aiming to invite a new generation of music lovers while honoring the beauty of historic venues and timeless compositions.
Whether you're a seasoned opera aficionado or just looking for a different night out in Miami Beach, the marriage of music, history, and projection mapping at Temple Emanu-El promises to be one of the city’s most unexpectedly transformative cultural experiences.
And with every note and light shift, it reaffirms that Miami Beach’s creative renaissance is just getting started.
