Sydney’s e-orchestra
Finalists for the Sydney Opera House’s first YouTube Symphony Orchestra were announced on Tuesday.
The orchestra was selected from thousands of musicians who auditioned by uploading videos of themselves playing a piece composed specifically for the event by American composer Mason Bates.
The concert will play in the Opera House on March 20 and will be broadcast on YouTube, free-to-air television, and streaming mobile phone and live sites.
A launch event will feature performances by YouTube classical pop group Aston; Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and didgeridoo player William Barton.
The 2009 event saw more than 90 musicians from 30 countries play to a sold-out Carnegie Hall in New York.
San Fransisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will lead the orchestra through a week long festival of free and ticketed performances, as well as master classes, workshops, broadcasts and other events.
“We’re exploring how classical music’s 1200 year long tradition can enter the realm of high technology and what that will mean for its mission and legacy. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall was a first step in that process. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 at Sydney Opera House will be the next step as we seek to expand beyond the rehearsal room, beyond the concert hall and connect with a global audience,” he said.
City of Sydney Council is unanimously supporting the initiative with a $50,000 in-kind sponsorship package, as part of the City’s $8 million grants and sponsorship program.
“We have many talented musicians in Sydney and this is a unique opportunity for them to share their skills with a global audience via the virtual world,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.
“It’s important to support exciting projects like the YouTube Symphony Orchestra which combines artistic collaboration, innovation and technology and supports Sydney’s creative industries.”
by Lawrence Bull
