The Aldeburgh World Orchestra
Coming together
2012 saw the formation of a new and unique international project, the Aldeburgh World Orchestra. 120 of the most talented young professional musicians from across the globe were led by acclaimed British conductor, Sir Mark Elder in performances of Britten, Mahler, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, as well as the world premiere of a new commission by Charlotte Bray.
Part two of three, commissioned by The Space to document the journey of this international ensemble, this film visits Aldeburgh to see the project taking shape as the musicians finally arrived in Suffolk in early July 2012 to begin work with Sir Mark Elder. It documents the players’ initial reactions as they meet their orchestral colleagues and begin work on some of the most demanding orchestral music ever written.
Sir Mark Elder gives his impressions of some of the world’s finest young orchestral players, now being heard live for the first time after their video auditions on YouTube, as they prepare for their high-profile performances, both at at Snape Maltings and major London and European venues, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the BBC Proms.
We are also introduced to some of the other creative projects around Aldeburgh which the orchestra’s visit has inspired, including a remarkable audio-visual installation called Conductable which allows local schoolchildren and members of the public to “play” the orchestra for themselves.