The Global Orchestra’s inaugural Concert for the Planet, a mass participation, multi-location, first of its kind performance of Holst’s The Planets, has gone global with musicians and communities around the world coming together via innovative technology to mark our commitment to listen to each other and our planet’s needs during Earth Hour 2015.

The unique performance will take place at 8:30pm on 28th March 2015, with Global Orchestra’s Conductor-Cam capturing and streaming the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) highly acclaimed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson live as he leads the SSO through Holst’s The Planets at the Sydney Opera House.

While the main event will take place at the Sydney Opera House, events are being hosted across the globe as community groups come together to perform in unison with the SSO via the live stream.

With only a few days to go, Global Orchestra has been inundated with registrations and can confirm that several hundred of schools and organisations in Australia and around the world, as well as the NASA base at Langley, will all be joining the performance.  Registration is not compulsory and it is anticipated that the number of people actually participating in the Concert event will be in the thousands.

The inclusion of 70 musicians from NASA’s Langley Research Centre in Virginia, consisting of NASA employees and local Adult and Youth Orchestra Members is a huge addition to the Concert event.

Kelly Murphy, Assistant Head of the Aerothermodynamics Branch at NASA Langley Research Center said today: “One of NASA’s primary missions is to understand and protect our home planet.  NASA Langley, where many of the world’s leading atmospheric scientists conduct cutting-edge research, is thrilled to participate in the Concert for the Planet – with people all over the world – to reflect on how each of us can “play our part for the planet.”

With the support of the SSO, Global Orchestra has also created musical arrangements, instructional videos, lesson plans and information packs for participants to play their part on the big night. The Conductor-Cam, featuring David Robertson conducting the SSO live in performance, will also guide players through the bar numbers and count players in to ensure everyone follows the score and knows when to play their part.

Please see the introduction video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqdp9w0g8Zc

In another world first, Google + will live stream a broadcast quality, multi camera production of the SSO‘s performance, via Hangout on Air.

Earth Hour is supporting the initiative and encouraging schools to link with the Global Orchestra to spread the word of this unique opportunity. More than 200 community and schools groups have already registered, with thousands of participants rehearsing in the lead up to the Concert for the Planet.

Global Orchestra Founder and Artistic Director, Charlie Chan, said today “In the last week we’ve had an amazing pick up of registrations and interest, particularly with the inclusion of 70 musicians at the NASA base in Langley.  There’s only two more days to go and even at this late stage, people are still registering new events – it’s not too late to join!  We’re looking forward to forming the Global Orchestra with the world”

For more information about the Global Orchestra or to register for the Concert for the Planet: www.globalorchestra.com/.