YouTube Symphony Orchestra

[Cyniel]

I just saw this today on YouTube and really had no idea it was going / went on. I think it's pretty amazing that Google went through with something as massive as this. Here's the summary from their channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/symphony):

Play your part in music history.

We called for professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments to audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun.

Finalists are selected by a judging panel comprised of the world's most renowned orchestras. Vote for your favorite instrumentalists on YouTube from February 14-22.

Winners are announced on March 2nd and will be invited to travel to New York in April 2009, to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and play at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

All the Tan Dun submissions will be compiled into a mashup video which will be premiered on this channel on April 15th.

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=sym ... =playlists
Act 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueJcRmfweSM
Act 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cS653udPCM

Act 1 and 2 equal to about 2.5 hours of video.