London. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) gave a
free, open-air concert to a crowd of thousands in London’s Trafalgar
Square yesterday, in an annual concert series presented in partnership
with BMW. The LSO, with piano soloist Behzod Abduraimov, performed
music by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov and showcased its
work with young musicians from East London, who performed on stage as
part of the Orchestra. The audience was guided through the performance
by presenter Lucy Griffiths with the assistance of films specially
created by the LSO. For the past six years, BMW LSO Open Air Classics
has provided the opportunity for the LSO’s musicians to get outside
and into the heart of the city to perform for an audience who are
mostly experiencing the LSO live in concert for the first time.
Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG,
addressing the audience from the stage said: “Thousands of visitors
are here today, not only from London itself, but from all over the
world. We are delighted to make this possible together with our
long-term partner, the London Symphony Orchestra. It is a very
important element of our cultural engagement to encourage broader
understanding and appreciation of the arts – and also support
newcomers. This event today is a great example of that.”
Kathryn McDowell, LSO Managing Director, said: “For a sixth year, the
LSO’s concert in Trafalgar Square has been a wonderful opportunity for
our musicians to get out of the concert hall, and perform in the
London sunshine. It remains completely free of charge and open to
every Londoner or visitor to the city, and it was those two
principles, which increase access to great music, that brought the LSO
and BMW together in 2012. It is their continued support as our
Principal Partner that enables us to present such a top-tier show in
Trafalgar Square and I would like to offer sincere thanks to BMW, as
well as the Mayor of London, for their continued commitment to the
event. Our players love getting out onto the Trafalgar Square stage
every year and the thrilling experience for the young people
performing with the LSO is truly special.”
Behzod Abduraimov opened the concert with a performance of
Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”, with the London
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. This virtuosic work,
known to many from its use in films such as “Singapore Sling” and
“Groundhog Day”, was given a dazzling performance by Abduraimov before
the stage was set for 40 young musicians from schools in east London
to join the LSO for a special performance of Rachmaninov’s “Symphonic
Dances” (first movement, “Non Allegro”). Aged between 11 and 18 years
they sat amongst the members of the LSO and musicians from the
Guildhall School of Music Drama, all performing together from a
specially-commissioned arrangement of the music allowing players of
mixed ability to perform together. The young people take part in the
LSO On Track programme, a pioneering collaboration between the LSO and
the East London boroughs which, in partnership with local Music
Education Hubs, builds on existing musical provision in schools. By
giving students and teaching staff special access to LSO musicians in
schools, LSO On Track vastly enriches music learning in the East
London boroughs and offers thrilling opportunities such as this one
for young people to perform with the LSO.
Valery Gergiev then conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in a
performance of three movements from Rachmaninov’s vast “Symphony No 2”
which brought this year’s BMW LSO Open Air Classics to an electrifying close.
The concert was projected live onto large screens at the sides of the
stage, and elsewhere in the Square, allowing everyone to see the
Orchestra up close and a state-of-the-art sound system ensured the
very best quality of sound, making the experience equally special at
the back of the square as at the front.
BMW’s open-air series will continue in Munich on June 24 with an
outdoor concert as the kick-off to the Munich Opera Festival and on
July 9 with an outdoor screening of Richard Wagner’s opera
“Tannhäuser”, all in partnership with the Bavarian State Opera.
About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in
over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main
focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art,
classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972,
three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group’s Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW.
Currently, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari are creating the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London,
the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well
as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes
absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this
initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work
as it is for major innovations in a successful business.
Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture
and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture-925330854231870/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-24753
Leonie Laskowski
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-45382
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
Google+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com