London. The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Valery Gergiev, will perform an all-Tchaikovsky programme in London’s
Trafalgar Square on Sunday 22 May, the fifth concert in the
Orchestra’s annual BMW LSO Open Air Classics series, free and open to
all. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Symphony No 4 will be performed
as well as an arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake suite, which will
be played by 42 young musicians from from the LSO’s On Track programme
and 23 musicians from the Guildhall School of Music Drama
side-by-side with members of the LSO. The concert will be presented by
Paul Rissmann.
This is the fifth event in the BMW LSO Open Air Classics series, a
unique and now hotly-anticipated fixture in London’s musical calendar,
which each year has seen a capacity crowd of thousands experience the
LSO in Trafalgar Square, completely free. BMW shares the LSO’s belief
that the greatest music should be enjoyed by the greatest number of
people, and partners similar highly-successful outdoor Opera for All
events in Munich and Berlin.
Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said:
“It’s great to be celebrating not only the BMW Group’s centenary but
also the fifth year of the BMW LSO Open Air Classics. I’d like to
sincerely thank our partner LSO for sharing our vision. Since starting
the series in 2012, thousands of people have been able to enjoy a
concert by a world-class orchestra in the stunning open-air
environment of Trafalgar Square. This is what BMW’s cultural
engagement is all about – taking classical music outside the concert
hall, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the arts without
boundaries. We’re proud to make this happen in the heart of London
year after year.”
Kathryn McDowell CBE DL, Managing Director of the LSO, said: “We are
delighted to return to Trafalgar Square for our fifth, free concert,
the result of our unique partnership with BMW. This year’s event
promises to be truly spectacular with an all-Tchaikovsky programme
featuring his 1812 Overture and 4th Symphony. BMW LSO Open Air
Classics is a real highlight in the Orchestra’s calendar, for the
players, the large audience of Londoners and visitors, and also for
the young musicians from our On Track programme in East London who I’m
pleased will return this year, performing music from Swan Lake
side-by-side with members of the Orchestra. The LSO is grateful to BMW
for their continued commitment to this event, and to the Mayor of
London for his support.”
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said: “The LSO concerts in
Trafalgar Square have been delighting Londoners and tourists alike for
five years with a wonderful selection of music that packs in the
crowds. As a free event in the heart of the capital it is opening up
classical music to a wider audience. It’s fantastic that young
musicians have the opportunity to play alongside professionals with
the esteemed Gergiev at the helm. I have no doubt that this year’s
event will be extremely popular.”
LSO On Track is a year-round programme delivered in partnership with
the LSO’s music education hub partners in the former Olympic Host and
Gateway boroughs in East London. Young musicians from East London,
many from challenging backgrounds, are given training by LSO musicians
and throughout the year a number of inspiring performance
opportunities, including the opportunity to perform with the LSO in
Trafalgar Square.
The performance in Trafalgar Square will begin at 6.30pm, though
early arrival is essential to secure entry – Full event information at
lso.co.uk/openair
About BMW’s Cultural Commitment
For more than 40 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 modern and contemporary art,
jazz and classical music 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, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur
Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim and Anna Netrebko
have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous
architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to
design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW
Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group celebrated its
world premiere in New York. The BMW Group takes absolute creative
freedom in all the cultural activities it is involved in for granted –
as this is just as essential for 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
For further questions please contact:
Dr. Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-24753
Leonie Laskowski
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-45382
Internet:
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Mail:
presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, 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 30 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the
financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues
amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 122,244 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.
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