USA: Musicians from all over the world come to New York to form the first-ever YouTube orchestra

Record ID: 385125

  • Title: USA: Musicians from all over the world come to New York to form the first-ever YouTube orchestra
  • Date: 16th April 2009
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (APRIL 13, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUTUBE ORCHESTRA REHEARSING
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LSKEQ9EU8M3XL49CGQ5O4FN4
  • Story Text: An international orchestra of some 90 musicians who auditioned on the YouTube video-sharing Web site will perform at New York's Carnegie Hall on Wednesday (April 15) after rehearsing together for just three days.
    The Carnegie Hall concert will be uploaded on YouTube for millions of people to see all over the world.
    Hailing from more than 30 countries, members of the YouTube orchestra held their first practice together at the Juilliard School in New York on Monday (April 13).
    Before Monday, the musicians had been practicing at home and receiving online tutorials from some of the world's top musicians.
    The orchestra will be led by Michael Tilson Thomas, the Grammy Award-winning conductor and music director for the San Francisco Symphony.

    "We're going to give a terrific show at Carnegie Hall that will have some very new and different things about it, both in the way it sounds and the way it looks. But really the most important part of this is how the world out there on the internet will be experiencing that and that will be developing over time as more edits and more uploads take place," said Tilson Thomas.
    The Carnegie Hall concert will also feature professional musical guests who did not have to audition online.
    Pianist Yuja Wang is one of the guests and will perform solo at the concert. Wang said the internet orchestra has brought a new kind of energy to classical music.

    "I just feel this incredible energy because everyone is just so excited and I think they are jet-lagged too, but they are just so excited to be part of this. 90 people, that's a huge orchestra and they're different ages, lots of young people like my age, which is really fun for me, and it's just crazy," said 22-year old Wang.
    The orchestra was assembled after more than 3,000 video auditions were uploaded to YouTube in December and January. Judges from some of the world's top orchestras whittled the number to 200 before the winners were chosen by viewers of YouTube, which is owned by Google.
    Among the winners was Jonathan Brummel, a professional trombone player from San Francisco, California. He said he hopes the internet orchestra will draw a younger audience to classical music.

    "I hope we can get a better exposure of classical music out to the general public because, as you know, it's an art form that can be a little eclectic and it's not as exciting as guitar hero or Van Halen, so whatever we can do to make classical music and acoustic live music more prominent is a good thing," said Brummel.
    Rainice Lai, a percussionist from Hong Kong, said she has enjoyed meeting and working with musicians from all over the world.
    "I'm like dreaming and very excited, and all people come from different places and make music together," said Lai.
    Organizers say some of the musicians had never left their home countries before being chosen for the YouTube orchestra.
    Austrian violinist Roman Krainz, who is visiting the United States for the first time, said he feels lucky to have won a spot in the orchestra.

    "I was like, okay, I'll try it out and let's see what happens and I was chosen and wonderful. It was a big deal and it's cool," said Krainz.
    This is the first time members of an orchestra have been selected entirely through the internet, merging a traditional music with new technology.
    The orchestra's performance will include works by Gabrieli, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Villa Lobos and John Cage as well as Internet Symphony No. 1 "Eroica," written by Tan Dun, the Oscar-winning Chinese composer of the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

    "I think the whole thing is quite revolutionary because you practice online, you are conducting online, you share all the comments online.
    That's normally the orchestra member and the people always do before the conductor comes," said Dun.
    Measha Brueggergosman will also perform on Wednesday night as a guest soprano. She says the YouTube has created a new way for music lovers to come together.

    "It was a birthing process. It was incredible, and so we're having a really great time. But this whole thing is a birthing process. This whole thing is just one great big baby that we hope will come out right, and we're excited about it, and I can't believe I'm a part of it. It's pretty wicked."
    The YouTube Symphony Orchestra channel -- www.youtube.com/symphony -- has been viewed more than 15 million times since it was launched in December by people from more than 200 countries and territories, YouTube said.
    A video of the concert will be available on YouTube on Thursday.
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