Lighting Design for Red Bull Symphonic with Kool Savas

Rap met classical virtuosity on 30 July 2023, when Kool Savas performed for around 2,000 hip-hop fans at Red Bull Symphonic in Stuttgart’s Liederhalle. Together with the 44-piece Residenz-Orchester Baden-Württemberg, the show brought hip-hop and classical symphonic music together.

The orchestra performed under conductor Sven Gnass, while Musical Director Lillo Scrimali was responsible for the overall musical direction. Guest artists Badmómzjay, 1986zig, SDP, Alies, Alea from Saltatio Mortis and Ela joined Kool Savas on stage.

The design challenge was to make the existing architecture work for a rap concert while giving the stage a simple yet distinctive look. I decided not to leave the venue’s organ concealed behind its wall panels. The panels were opened, and additional lighting incorporated the organ into the stage design as a defining architectural element.

As the central design element, I used Portman Mantis fixtures arranged in two horizontal lines and combined them with three lines of GLP X4 Bars. This clear structure gave the stage its distinctive look while remaining flexible enough to respond to the individual songs. It was complemented by a classic combination of spot and wash lights, together with JDC-1 strobes behind the orchestra and across the stage floor. Operating in single-pixel mode, they expanded the range of movement and accents available within the design. Two Robe RoboSpot systems with BMFL FS spots provided the principal key light.

For the show, I was responsible for the Production Design, Lighting Design and DoP work. Together with my team, I also managed Preprogramming, Lighting Programming and Lighting Operating.