BMW CLASSICS transformed Trafalgar Square tonight for people’s concert with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra.

London. Tonight, Sunday 1 July 2018, an audience of 10,000 people joined Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra in BMW CLASSICS, an evening of orchestral music, transforming Trafalgar Square into the world’s biggest concert hall for one night.

Sadiq Khan, London’s Mayor, got up on stage with Sir Simon Rattle and Ian Robertson to welcome the audience. He said: “It is wonderful that Trafalgar Square has been transformed into a concert hall to welcome one of the world’s most celebrated orchestras. Hosting a free event of this scale, in the heart of London, brings world-class classical music to a modern and diverse audience. I’m particularly delighted that 50 of our city’s most talented young musicians had the opportunity to perform alongside Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra.”

Sir Simon was joined by 100 musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra playing alongside 50 young musicians from the LSO On Track programme in East London and musicians from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

The programme featured music on a theme of dance and ballet by Dvořák, Massenet,

Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky and included a world premiere by 29 year-old composer and pianist Kate Whitley, founder of Peckham Car Park’s Multi-Story Orchestra.

BMW CLASSICS was broadcasted live on YouTube and can be streamed via the following link: Youtube.com/lso

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About the London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was established in 1904 and has a unique ethos. As a musical collective, it is built on artistic ownership and partnership. With an inimitable signature sound, the LSO’s mission is to bring the greatest music to the greatest number of people. The LSO has been the only Resident Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in the City of London since it opened in 1982, giving 70 symphonic concerts there every year. The Orchestra works with a family of artists that includes some of the world’s greatest conductors – Sir Simon Rattle as Music Director, Gianandrea Noseda and François-Xavier Roth as Principal Guest Conductors, Michael Tilson Thomas as Conductor Laureate and André Previn as Conductor Emeritus. Through LSO Discovery, it is a pioneer of music education, offering musical experiences to 60,000 people every year and over 100 live events at its music education centre LSO St Luke’s on Old Street. With the formation of its own record label LSO Live in 1999 the LSO pioneered a revolution in recording live orchestral music. The LSO strives to embrace new digital technologies – having successfully moved into digital film, Blu-Ray Audio, downloads, streaming and virtual reality – and it continues to innovate with platforms such as LSO Play, a web-based video player that allows people to observe the Orchestra from different angles. The LSO is also a highly successful creative enterprise, with 80% of all funding self-generated.

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. In 2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari created 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

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For further questions please contact:

Prof Dr Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-24753

E-Mail: Thomas.Girst@bmw.com

Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-45382

E-Mail: Leonie.Laskowski@bmw.com

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. The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 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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