Groundbreaking fulldome adaptation of acclaimed contemporary opera about the 1996 Everest disaster comes to Salt Lake City on January 15, 2026
SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dome Fest West is proud to present Everest: Opera in the Planetarium, an immersive cinematic adaptation of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s acclaimed contemporary opera, created by San Francisco–based Opera Parallèle. This groundbreaking fulldome film, winner of Best Musical Feature at Dome Fest West 2025 and recipient of Opera America’s 2024 Digital Excellence in Opera Award, invites audiences into a powerful fusion of opera, technology, and cinematic storytelling beneath the dome of the Clark Planetarium.
Based on the true events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, widely known through Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and the 1998 MacGillivray Freeman IMAX documentary, the film explores the extremes of human endurance, moral choice, and the fragile beauty of the human spirit.
Created specifically for immersive environments, Everest: Opera in the Planetarium uses motion-capture animation and striking graphic-novel–inspired visuals to reimagine opera for the dome. These bold visual elements intensify Talbot’s sweeping score and Scheer’s emotionally resonant libretto, creating a visceral, enveloping experience that could only exist in immersive cinema.
“Everest: Opera in the Planetarium connects across so many worlds, opera, mountaineering, true stories, music, cinema, and visual art, and invites audiences to find their own way into the story,” said Daniel Harvey, Executive Director & Producer of Opera Parallèle. “Whether drawn by the human drama, the mountain itself, or the beauty of the sound and image, Everest offers a deeply personal journey.”
Presented at the Clark Planetarium through Dome Fest West Presents, this special engagement reflects Dome Fest West’s ongoing commitment to bringing award-winning fulldome and immersive works to new audiences beyond the festival itself, bridging the worlds of immersive cinema, live performance, and cultural storytelling.
“We’re incredibly excited to share Everest: Opera in the Planetarium with Salt Lake City audiences,” said Ryan Moore, Executive Director of Dome Fest West. “This work exemplifies what Dome Fest West stands for, bold artistic experimentation, technical excellence, and the power of immersive media to transform how stories are experienced. Whether this is someone’s first dome film or their hundredth, Everest is the kind of experience that stays with you.”
Everest: Opera in the Planetarium will screen for a 10-show limited engagement beginning Thursday, January 15, 2026 and runs through Sunday, January 25, 2026. Tickets are available now at www.saltlakecounty.gov/clark-planetarium
About Opera Parallèle
Founded in 2010 by conductor Nicole Paiement in San Francisco, a city defined by the intersection of art and technology, Opera Parallèle reimagines opera for the modern world. The company develops and produces contemporary opera, commissioning new works and re-orchestrating modern masterworks to reveal fresh perspectives. Championing living artists and creative collaboration, Opera Parallèle unites music, design, and technology to tell socially relevant stories that explore the depth of the human condition.
About Clark Planetarium
Clark Planetarium is Utah’s gateway to space science, inspiring curiosity and discovery for visitors of all ages. Located at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City, the Planetarium features breathtaking IMAX films, immersive live shows in the Hansen Dome Theatre, and three floors of free, hands-on exhibits exploring astronomy, Earth science, and cutting-edge technology. Through engaging programs, school partnerships, and public events, Clark Planetarium connects science to everyday life and fuels a lifelong passion for learning.
Ryan Moore
Dome Fest West
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Everest Opera in the Planetarium | Dome Fest West Presents at the Clark Planetarium
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
