The BMW LSO Open Air Classics again a major success. The London Symphony Orchestra in cooperation with BMW played its third annual concert free to thousands in Trafalgar Square.

London. The London Symphony Orchestra, with its Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev and conductor Timothy Redmond, again played to a capacity crowd of Londoners and visitors of all ages on Sunday evening May 11. This was the third highly successful annual concert in the BMW LSO Open Air Classics series in Trafalgar Square, a joint initiative by BMW and the LSO. The programme was all Prokofiev, featuring his First Symphony, suites from his ballet Romeo and Juliet and a suite from the film Lieutenant Kijé in a special arrangement by Gareth Glynn. 

Some 80 LSO on Track young musicians who are coached and trained by members of the LSO as part of LSO Discovery, the Orchestra’s award-winning music education and community programme, together with students from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, all played alongside the LSO musicians in the Lieutenant Kijé suite. Paul Rissman presented the event, guiding the audience through the music with large screens mounted on either side of the stage, which enabled the whole audience to witness the concert close up. 

Dr Ian Robertson (HonDSc) Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG greeted on stage: 

“It is extraordinary to witness how our joint open-air concert has been integrated in London’s cultural landscape. We just committed to continuing this great collaboration through to at least 2017 and we are very much looking forward to this.” 

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the LSO, said:

“The London Symphony Orchestra was thrilled to return to Trafalgar Square to perform the third annual BMW LSO Open Air Classics on May 11. These concerts, the result of our unique partnership with BMW, succeed in taking great music beyond the concert hall to many thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds and the atmosphere is truly thrilling and unique. Bringing a number of talented young musicians to play alongside the LSO is an initiative working with the next generation which the LSO treasures. The LSO is grateful to the Mayor of London for supporting this event which has become a musical highlight in the life of London.” 

From Moscow to Seoul, via Milan and London to Munich and Berlin; distinguished conductors from Daniel Barenboim and Valery Gergiev to Zubin Mehta and Kirill Petrenko; from chamber concerts of contemporary music to a comprehensive programme of cultural and musical education – the cultural engagement of the BMW Group in the field of music is as multifaceted as it is sustainable. Longterm partners include internationally renowned opera houses and orchestras such as Bayerische Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Münchner Philharmoniker and the London Symphony Orchestra.

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 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

Internet: www.press.bmw.de

E-Mail: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is the leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 28 production and assembly facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. 

In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 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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