Concrete Playground

They are, perhaps, not three words that you would ever expect to meet in the same sentence. 'Symphony' and 'orchestra', sure - but 'YouTube'? Who knew that the power of the internet could be used for good, not evil? Defying expectations, YouTube have, literally, assembled a symphony orchestra. Thousands of musicians have auditioned online, with winners from all over the world performing via the same technology. For the Grand Finale in Sydney, images will be projected onto the Opera House to bring the performance together in a dramatically visual way.

This Tuesday event will unveil some of these international winners in their first performance, alongside Australian musicians William Barton, the didjeridu legend, and the innovative Synergy Percussion. The program includes no less than seven exceptional contemporary pieces. Highlights include Edgard Varèse's Ionisation, a groundbreaking exploration of percussive sounds, and Australian Nigel Westlake's Omphalo Centric Lecture, which is his widely performed opus one.

Image: William Barton, courtesy of Sydney Opera House