Move over, American Idol. YouTube is opening the doors of opportunity for classical musicians in a new collaboration with top orchestras from around the world.
YouTube on Tuesday announced a partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Grammy Award-winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, Academy Award-winning and Olympics composer Tan Dun, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, the first YouTube Symphony Orchestra global ambassador, and many other classical music stars. They will launch the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, which YouTube is billing as the world’s first collaborative online orchestra and summit.
“YouTube is a unique platform for musical artists to broadcast their work. Through the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, aspiring musicians can share their passion with institutions like Carnegie Hall and the London Symphony Orchestra, visionaries like Lang Lang, and the world,” said Ed Sanders, product marketing manager at YouTube. “We are honored to partner with these venerable organizations and individuals to reach the next milestone for ensemble music and global collaboration.”
Selecting the Stars
YouTube is inviting musicians from around the world to submit videos showcasing their personal style as they perform two different programs — their interpretation of an original Tan Dun composition, written specifically for this program, and a talent video demonstrating their musical and technical abilities. Videos will be accepted through Jan. 28, 2009.
Next, a panel of musical experts from the London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and other orchestras will prune the entries to the semifinalists. Then the YouTube community will vote on the semifinalists from Feb. 14 to Feb. 22. Musicians selected will be announced on YouTube on March 2.
In April 2009, winning musicians will be flown to New York City to participate in a three-day classical music summit with conductor Thomas and leading performers. The program culminates in…