Last night YouTube staged, and live-streamed to a global audience, a spectacular event at the Sydney (Australia) Opera House - the finale concert of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. The concert was the culmination of a journey that started with video auditions uploaded to YouTube. Selected by experts from some of the world’s leading orchestras and voted on by the public, the 101 musicians from more than 30 countries, ranging in age from 14 to 49 years old and including amateur and professional musicians, played together under the direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. This finale performance featured real-time video projections onto the exterior and interior of the iconic building. Sydney Opera House CEO Richard Evans called the projections "the most ambitious and breathtaking we’ve ever seen."
A highlight of their collaborative performance was Mothership: a specially- commissioned piece by American composer Mason Bates. The piece featured an electric guitarist from Brazil, a violinist from USA, a guzheng player from China, and an electric double bassist from Australia, who were chosen to perform as soloists by submitting improvisations online. The repertoire also included Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and Stravinsky’s spectacular Firebird.
Noted Conductor and Artistic Advisor Michael Tilson Thomas said, “We created a living orchestra from what was once only on video — an extraordinary and exciting process.”
The finale streamed live on the YouTube Symphony Channel, YouTube.com/symphony, from the YouTube home page in more than a dozen countries, and on mobile devices via the YouTube Symphony apps. Said YouTube’s Ed Sanders, “We've been dazzled by the growing community around this project, from people watching and commenting on videos to those auditioning and sharing musical experience online. Tonight we used performance, mobile, live stream, and projections to bring it all together and reach new audiences across the globe."
Watch the highlights:
VIDEO: YouTube Symphony Orchestra Sydney Opera House
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Selena Gomez "Who Says" Music Video
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