For Release – Wednesday, 25 February, 2015: The Global Orchestra has today launched the inaugural Concert for the Planet, a mass participation, multi location, first of its kind performance of Holst’s The Planets. Musicians and communities around the globe will come 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, in the count down to this year’s Earth Hour. Global Orchestra’s Conductor-Cam will capture and stream live the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) highly acclaimed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson as he leads the SSO through Holst’s The Planets.

With the support of 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.

Chair of the Global Orchestra Foundation, Angela Catterns AM explained, “The inaugural Concert for the Planet will be a fitting embellishment to Earth Hour. We hope it’ll spread across the world and become an annual event and a musical movement for environmental awareness and change.”

David Robertson said the inaugural Concert for the Planet would demonstrate the Orchestra’s continued commitment to digital education and accessibility.

“At the SSO we’re always looking for innovative ways to allow audiences across Australia and overseas to experience our performances ,” Mr Robertson said. “We’re thrilled to be joining the Global Orchestra Foundation in this multimedia project which will allow audiences and musicians across the world to connect with the SSO and the music in a new and exciting way.”

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

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.

Earth Hour is supporting the initiative and encouraging schools to link with the Global Orchestra to further 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: “Our goal is to have 100,000 participants across 500 locations in Australia and abroad playing in sync to as the soundtrack during Earth Hour. Coming together to play music requires collaboration, listening, creativity and playing your part. This is what we all need to do if we are to find sustainable ways to live on this planet.”