Tech News

Liverpool Philharmonic to play Second Life gig

By Stevie Smith Aug 15, 2007, 14:51 GMT

The scope of interactive activity available within the virtual confines of Linden Lab’s popular Second Life is vast. Specifically, registered users can have their on-screen avatars attend and/or participate in a wealth of authentic ‘real-life’ forms of channelled entertainment including rock concerts, art galleries, and even legitimate casinos. Now, however, Second Life is preparing to step up the quality of its more highbrow cultural attractions with the rather grandiose arrival of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, which will mark the very first full-scale symphonic concert to be held in the virtual game world.The landmark concert is scheduled to be held on September 14, and those Second Life users interesting in attending can expect to find themselves enjoying proceedings in a virtual 3D representation of the orchestra’s home concert hall. Led by chief conductor Vasily Petrenko, the Liverpool Philharmonic will be performing classic works by the likes of Ravel and Rachmaninov via a live video stream, and it will also premiere two contemporary pieces by Liverpool-based composers John McCabe and Kenneth Hesketh. Following the main musical event, attendees will be able to retire to the venue’s virtual bar area where Mr. Petrenko’s animated avatar representation will duly field audience questions. It’s worth noting at this point that a mere 100 tickets will be available for the concert on a lottery basis (remember classical music fans: you have to be in it to win it)."Orchestras today are committed to reaching out to make their music more accessible to encourage new audiences," enthused Michael Elliott, the Liverpool Philharmonic’s chief executive, in a Guardian Unlimited article. "That means embracing the opportunities presented by new technology. For us, Second Life, which has grown explosively since launching in 2003, allows us to tap into a potential global audience. It's also a lot of fun and it certainly adds a different dimension to the more traditional visit to a concert hall."The official lottery-based competition can be entered by simply visiting http://www.liverpoolphil.com San Francisco-based Linden Lab started the Second Life virtual world in 2003. It has since grown to boast more than 8 million registered users and exists as an almost limitless computer-generated world that thrives both socially and economically thanks to its redeemable online currency, the Linden Dollar.