The Berlin International Opera (B.I.O.) was founded in 2006 in Berlin by a group of young, international opera singers who were in search of new artistic challenges. At a time when public funding by the city government of Berlin was decreasing and, consequently, traditional opera productions, the group initiated the "raw opera" project. B.I.O. presents opera without large orchestras at unconventional venues, such as disco clubs, while including video projections and other modern elements.
The first production of the opera, Mozart's Don Giovanni, was performed in March 2007. At this time, the ensemble consisted of musicians from seven distinct nations. The same year, in September, Le Nozze di Figaro followed at the Löwenpalais in Berlin. Subsequently, they moved the production to the venue "Heimathafen", in Berlin's borough of Neukölln. One of the biggest successes, publicly acclaimed by the public, was Verdi's opera Macbeth performed at a disco club in Potsdamer Platz, called HomeBase Lounge.