Having made his debut with Cirque du Soleil with The Beatles Love in 2006, LD Yves Aucoin, best known for his work with Céline Dion, created a sparkling environment that plays with the themes in The Beatles' songs.

“The biggest challenge is that the songs are so well known,” he says. “People have 40 years of images in their heads already.” Another challenge was working in the round and figuring out the angles so that the light wouldn't bounce back into the audience's eyes.

“It was good exercise walking around the theatre,” Aucoin notes. “I programmed on a grandMA on different sides of the theatre, at different elevations, and from different points of view.”

With his illustrious career and experience with Céline Dion and Cirque du Soliel to draw upon, Aucoin has joined the 2011 Concert Master Classes faculty. “For the Concert Master Classes I'll talk about putting a show together for a permanent installation,” he notes. “How do you choose your tools for a 10-year project? You want the hip new toy but you need to make sure that is not just the flavor of the month. You have to feel that in five to 10 years from the day you decide on the equipment list you will still have technical support of the product.

“I'll also discuss designing with a theatre under construction, dealing with the code, the power distribution, the show result versus the comfort of all the theatre design,” he adds. “I would like to put in perspective what is the reality of a multi-million dollar budget. How to spread the money over the project. Finally I will talk about my way of designing with lights and image... It is pretty rare nowadays that I design a light show without video: it is all-in-one design for me.”

Register today for the Concert Master Classes at USC in LA, December 3 & 4, and meet Aucoin and the great list of designers on the CMC faculty.

Related articles:

Willie Williams Joins Concert Master Classes Faculty

Oct 6, 2011 10:08 AM   By Marian Sandberg

Visual designer Willie Williams, best known for his many years working with U2, joins the faculty of the Concert Master Classes, to be held in December at USC....

CMC Speaker Spotlight: Arnold Serame

Nov 15, 2011 10:31 AM   By Ellen Lampert-Gréaux

Concert LD Arnold Serame joins the Concert Master Classes faculty for 2011...

CMC Speaker Spotlight: Bob Bonniol

Oct 26, 2011 11:24 AM   By Marian Sandberg

Bob Bonniol returns to the Concert Master Classes faculty to discuss projection and video in concert design....

CMC Speaker Spotlight: Steve Cohen

Nov 10, 2011 8:58 AM   By Marian Sandberg

Steve Cohen will present Concert Lighting Design: The Blank Page at the Concert Master Classes on December 3, along with Jim Lenahan. ...