“With the support of the Mayor of London’s office the London Symphony Orchestra performed a free concert in the centre of London just five days after Saddiq Khan was voted London’s new Mayor,” writes Grace Banks in Wednesday’s (6/29) Forbes.com. “Held in the centre of London in Trafalgar Square, this year’s concert marked the fifth anniversary of the project, which was designed to democratise access to music for London’s residents. Supported by the BMW arts programme, 2016’s concert had thousands of people in attendance.” Says LSO managing director Kathryn McDowell, “We opened a dialogue with [BMW] when we came up with the idea for Trafalgar Square. We both seemed to be speaking the same language when it came to our commitment to take music out of the concert hall and bring it to a very new audience, completely free…. I’m also delighted that talented young musicians from the schools we work with in East London will be given the opportunity to perform with the LSO and [former Principal Conductor Valery] Gergiev … Bringing great music, live, to thousands of people is at the heart of the LSO’s ambition and I’m delighted that this event is now embedded in … London’s cultural calendar.”
Posted July 5, 2016
