The online video site called auditions for chairs in the symphony orchestra in December. Musicians had to submit videos of themselves playing a piece by the Academy award-winning composer Tan Dun and another of their own choosing. The submissions were evaluated by members of some of the world's leading orchestras as well as by ordinary YouTube users.
The YouTube Symphony Orchestra will travel to New York in April to rehearse Tan Dun's Internet Symphony No. 1, Eroica, for three days before performing it at Carnegie Hall on April 15. The concert will be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, musical director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
Thomas, together with the pianist Lang Lang and the London Symphony Orchestra are working with YouTube to promote classical music.
"YouTube offers a great opportunity to bring classical music closer to the people," Thomas said. He also plans to create a YouTube series about music history.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
