Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Amsterdam

The Opportunity

The Nederlands Blazers Ensemble Nieuwjaarsconcert––performed on-stage before an audience and broadcasted by NPO 2 on New Year’s Day––is a pivotal event in the Dutch cultural calendar, ringing in the New Year for countless viewers. The 2022 edition marked the concert’s 50th iteration, which paid tribute to legendary singers Nina Simone and Maria Callas.

The Solution

To create immersive and riveting visuals suitable for such a milestone, veteran lighting designer Henk-Jan van Beek and the Light-H-Art team selected the Martin MAC Ultra Performance as the lighting fixture of choice.

Designed to suit even the most ambitious productions, the MAC Ultra Performance features Martin’s 1150W, 6000K proprietary LED light engine, which is capable of emitting up to 46,500 lumens in projection over its 50,000+ hour lifespan. Additionally, the fixture’s comprehensive collection of effects, filters and color blends allows for everything from stark white beams and saturated color washes to flickering strobes and captivating prisms. Suited for broadcasts as well as live shows, the MAC Ultra Performance was ideal for creating the grand and stunning visuals fit for Nieuwjaarsconcert.

Thanks to MAC Ultra Performance’s careful engineering and potent specifications, as well as the hard work and expertise of Light-H-Art, the fixture’s Dutch TV debut was a resounding success and will play a role in future broadcasts and stage events. Light-H-Art plans to make the fixture a cornerstone of its lighting repertoire and is excited to deliver stunning visual experiences as the industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact

“I had already seen and played with the MAC Ultra Performance, and so I knew it was something I wanted to have,” said van Beek. “It’s since become my de-facto workhorse––it’s easy to set up, zooming into an iris effect is fast and elegant. Because it’s so bright, the fixture is amazing at painting walls and making the subtle background illuminations that are vital in a stage performance.”

“We were impressed with how few fixtures we had to use to get the effects we needed,” added van Beek. “I used a night sky gobo and was absolutely stunned. It literally looked like the walls were painted. Everyone who worked on the production was impressed by the brightness, as well as the fast and precise zoom––it was exactly what we needed.”

“The rest of the year looks incredibly busy,” said van Beek. “Life is returning to normal, and summer is finally here. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”