YouTube Australia Blog: symphony

YouTube Symphony Orchestra: Guest Post

Friday, 25 March 2011

Mathisha Panagoda, YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 cellist, of Sydney, shares his thoughts on the experience in this guest post:

Bringing the world together: We Australians did it in 2000 with the Olympics held right here in Sydney, but seldom before has the phenomenon of classical music been able to reach such a global audience, all hosted from our own backyard and live-streamed to the world online.

This past week I was often asked why I decided to audition for the YouTube Symphony seeing as it was to be held in my home town. I can honestly say I haven’t been more proud of where I live. After 24 years in Sydney, I can now finally say I’ve climbed the Harbour Bridge!

From over 30 countries, members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 gather atop Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge.

Yes, I unashamedly patted a koala, came face to face with a kangaroo, and did just about every touristy thing Sydney has to offer. And I loved it. At the same time I met over 100 inspirational friends, musicians and mentors and had the awesome opportunity to show them my own town. It was a full-on week of intense rehearsals, concerts and activities, but we made time to explore the best of what Sydney has to offer, from The Rocks to Kings Cross, from the Harbour to Bondi. And of course, what better venue to play home to this group of musicians than Sydney Opera House. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra was also a great way to connect new audiences with my own orchestra here and my personal YouTube channel.

I only wish it could have lasted just a bit longer. One week hasn’t been long enough to get to know everyone as well as I would have liked, but I know we’ll all stay in touch the same way we met — over the Internet. I think we can walk away knowing that we made a lasting impression on the world and pulled off something really innovative and spectacular.

Mathisha Panagoda, cellist, YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011, recently watched Ascending Bird - Kseniya Simonova Sand Art

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 arrives in Sydney

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube blog.

This weekend, 101 musicians from more than 30 countries descended upon Sydney to form the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. After a process of online auditions, public voting, and decisions by our orchestra partners and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, the 97 orchestral musicians and four winning soloists are now hard at work to ensure their finale performance in Sydney on March 20 is nothing short of extraordinary.

This week marks the final phase of their journey: A seven-day festival of music, creativity and technology in and around one of the world’s most iconic symbol of the arts, Sydney Opera House. They’ve arrived from all over the world, speak multiple languages, and bring with them diverse musical and cultural insights from around the globe. And their days have been filled with experiences they’re sure to carry with them beyond Sydney — from the first rehearsal inside Sydney Opera House under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, to a trip to the zoo to pet the marsupials and feed the giraffes.

Here’s a peek at how the week is shaping up:

We’ll be following the orchestra all week to find out how the collaborative work of these musicians, who met in person for the first time just days ago, translates into a single finale performance, brought to life through real time projections on the sails of Sydney Opera House. The grand finale on March 20 will be live streamed around the globe on youtube.com/symphony.

A sneak peek of what’s to come at the Grand Finale.

Want to know what the orchestra is up to this week? Follow us on twitter (@googledownunder, #ytso) and be sure to tune into youtube.com/symphony for daily highlights from around Sydney!

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Australia product marketing, recently watched “Vloggin Day 1 Sydney.”

Two Weeks until the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011

Thursday, 3 March 2011

In just a few days the YouTube Symphony Orchestra arrives in Sydney. The 97 orchestral musicians, winning improvisers, and Michael Tilson Thomas have been hard at work to ensure that their performances in Sydney are nothing short of extraordinary. And to give you a sneak peek, Tourism Australia has flown four winning musicians down under in advance of the full orchestra’s arrival to spend some time with some of Australia’s up and coming musical talent. The pair, Desmond from London, and Luke from NSW have completed a musical track, inspired by their journey:

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra kicks off March 15 for a week-long festival of creativity, technology and the arts. The Grand Finale is nearly sold out, but be sure to pick up your tickets at the Sydney Opera House website for any of the week’s ensemble concerts and the Saturday matinee.

This year, we’ll also be joining an additional YouTuber to jam with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at a special, pre-finale performance at The Basement. Here’s the winning entry from Qantas’ open mic competition, Zak Gottleib:

Even if you don’t have tickets, be sure to come down to Dawes Point to watch the Opera House sails come to life during the Grand finale performance on 20 March. And stay tuned for more sneak peeks of what’s to come!

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, just watched Making Tracks: Stu and Sam cycling in Canberra

Countdown to YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011

Monday, 7 February 2011

In just a few weeks, the world's online, collaborative orchestra lands on our shores, as Sydney hosts the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011.

We asked for your auditions, and you voted for your favourites. Now, the 97 orchestral musicians and 4 winning improvisers are hard at work preparing for their musical journey down under:

New this year, we will be hosting a week-long extravaganza celebrating creativity, the arts, and global collaboration between March 14 - 20. Here are four easy ways for you to get involved:

Want to see the winning orchestra in action? Grab your ticket to the Grand Finale, held in the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House, under the baton of Grammy Award-winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. An epic multimedia celebration of creativity and technology, this gala performance will come to life through soaring musical interludes and vast images projected on the interior and sails of the Sydney Opera House. More tickets should be released very soon - check back often as they’re going fast!
Can’t make the finale performance? Check out any of the week’s ensemble concerts, which will feature musical luminaries from around the world and Australia joining members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, including Synergy Percussion and didgeridoo legend William Barton, amongst others.
Want to see some jamming? This year we’re bringing you a Brazilian guitarist, a Chinese guzheng player, an American violinist and an Australian double bassist jamming with their fellow musicians in a special, pre-finale improv session at The Basement. Grab your tickets now as this is sure to be a popular event.
Win a chance to jam! The auditions aren’t over just yet... You could still win a chance to jam with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 on stage! Qantas is offering you and a friend the chance to win flights to Sydney, 7 nights accommodation in the Four Seasons Hotel and the opportunity to join the orchestra for an Open Mic concert. Just submit your non-traditional talent and prove you’ve got what it takes for a chance to win.

We’ll keep you up to date with news and content over the next few weeks on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Channel. And of course, be sure to tune in to watch the live stream as this truly global orchestra takes the stage at Sydney Opera House on March 20, 2011.

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, recently watched Synergy Percussion Mallet Quartet

YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011: We’ll see you in Sydney!

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

A few months ago, we announced the second YouTube Symphony Orchestra to be held at the Sydney Opera House, and sent out a call to you, the YouTube community, to Play Your Part. We were blown away by the amazing videos we received in response, and the YouTube community voted on their favorites and visited the channel in their millions.

Today, we’re proud to present the 101 musicians from more than 30 countries around the world that have been selected to form the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011.

These outstanding musicians range in age from 14 to 49 and hail from five different continents, including 4 winners from Australia:

Brent MIller, Timpanist, overcame a neck injury and spinal problems to return to full-time secondary schooling in Toowoomba, Queensland, where he has performed with the University of Southern Queensland Orchestra, Toowoomba Concert Band, and the Queensland Youth Symphony

Mathisha Panagoda, Celloist, has toured Europe and China with the Australian Youth Orchestra, and has even performed at the 2000 Olympics! He has established his own chamber orchestra in Sydney, the Sydney Camerata, which is made up of young, talented musicians from around the country.

John Burgess, Bassist, was born in Queensland, Australia but grew up in the rural Mid North Coast. He began to take an interest in music at age 9, first on piano, then soon after picked up the bass guitar. He will be performing an improvisation to Mason Bates’ Mothership.

Rollin Zhao, Violinist, started playing music when he was two, and could read music before he could read words!

Also among the group is a vuvuzela-fixated trombonist from Germany, an Arizona-based clarinetist who has never left the U.S., and a Guzheng player from China whose instrument is one a lot of the world has never seen or heard before.

The orchestra and winning improvisers will be joined in Sydney by Michael Tilson Thomas, Mason Bates, and a number of professional musicians and mentors from the London Symphony Orchestra, The Berlin Philharmoniker, and the Sydney Symphony, to participate in a week-long celebration of music, creativity, technology and the arts. The week will include several ensemble concerts, classes for Australian musicians, events in and around Sydney, and the Grand Finale performance on Sunday, March 20 to be held in the Sydney Opera House concert hall and streamed live to the world on YouTube.

Everyone can participate in this celebration of creativity and technology. We’ll post videos and behind-the-scenes footage of the orchestra, from rehearsal and master classes to performance, to the YouTube Symphony channel, and to our mobile apps (which you can download on the Android Market by searching for ‘YouTube Symphony Orchestra’ or on the Apple App Store.

Be sure to tune in for more details on the week’s events.

Next stop: Sydney.

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Australia, recently watched “Synergy: Unsung Heroes” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq_sBkNkGpY

YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011: Help your favourite Aussies make the final cut

Friday, 17 December 2010

We recently announced the shortlist for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. Musicians from around the world are ready to play their part, and we need you to play yours! With 336 finalists selected from 46 countries, help our fellow Aussies get to the Sydney Opera House in March.

Here’s a few words from Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: