New Delhi to Stage AI-Enhanced Opera Monsieur Beaucaire on September 9 and 12-13

The French Embassy in New Delhi announced that the city will host a first‑of‑its‑kind Indo‑French production that blends a 1919 French opera with artificial intelligence, live Indian opera singers and a 20‑member French orchestra. The event, titled AI Meets Opera: Monsieur Beaucaire, will be staged on September 9 at the Kamani Auditorium and on September 12‑13 at the Lotus Temple.

The production is part of the India‑France Year of Innovation 2026 and is presented by the Neemrana Music Foundation in partnership with the French Embassy and a group of sponsors from India and Europe, including Air France. The show aims to revive the century‑old opera by André Messager through AI‑powered avatars of Hollywood legends Stan Laurel, Rudolph Valentino and Bob Hope.

Monsieur Beaucaire is an English‑language opera composed in 1919 by French composer André Messager, based on Booth Tarkington’s 1900 novel. The work premiered in Birmingham, England, and later ran in London and on Broadway. It was adapted into film in 1924 and 1946. The new production brings the story back to the stage in a contemporary format.

The technical core of the show is a facial‑capture and avatar‑projection system developed by French engineer Philippe Engel. Cameras record the movements of the live performers in real time; AI software translates those motions into animated avatars that appear on a large screen. The avatars represent the three Hollywood icons, allowing them to “return to the stage” in a digital form.

IIT Delhi students are coordinating the implementation of the AI system as part of their Computer Graphics coursework. The production also incorporates E‑ink technology created by the NIFT Technical Department for costume design, and makeup by senior L’Oréal Paris artists to blend 18th‑century aesthetics with a futuristic visual style.

Aude Priya Wacziarg, Franco‑Indian opera singer and managing trustee of the Neemrana Music Foundation, said the project “explores what becomes possible when a work from more than a century ago is brought into conversation with the technology of today.” She added that AI is used to create new storytelling possibilities rather than replace live performers.

Air France’s Country Manager India, Laure Daynie, described the airline’s sponsorship as a continuation of its cultural partnership. “Air France has always sought to connect people, ideas and cultures,” Daynie said. “Supporting this production in India is a natural expression of that heritage.”

The Neemrana Music Foundation, founded in 2002 by Francis Wacziarg, promotes Western classical music and cultural exchange between East and West. The foundation also runs the Neemrana Music Academy, the only institution in India that teaches professional opera singing.

The production will feature a 20‑member French orchestra, Indian opera singers, a French AI technology start‑up, and students from IIT Delhi. It is scheduled to run at two venues: the Kamani Auditorium on September 9 and the Lotus Temple on September 12‑13.

The event is positioned as a showcase of how AI can enhance live performance without supplanting human artistry. By projecting digital avatars of classic film stars onto the stage, the production seeks to attract audiences of all ages, including those with no prior opera experience.

The show’s dates and venues have been confirmed by the French Embassy’s official release. No further details about ticketing or additional performances have been announced.

The production exemplifies the growing trend of integrating AI into live music and theatre, a development that has implications for performers, producers, and technology developers across the global audio industry.