Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announces cutting edge video installation for Shostakovich performance at Multitudes festival
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) announces it will perform Shostakovich’s defiant Symphony No 7 with a cutting edge video installation at the Southbank Centre’s ground-breaking Multitudes festival on Sunday 27 April.
A profound historical document, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No.7 is for this festival being presented as a timeless meditation on the resilience of the human spirit and a hope for peace in today’s troubled world.
To visually interpret this powerful symphony, a three-channel video installation conceived by filmmaker Ilya Shagalov and art director Kirill Serebrennikov will accompany the RPO’s performance which will be conducted by RPO Music Director Vasily Petrenko. This immersive experience underscores the symphony’s timeless relevance, challenging viewers to reflect on the enduring impact of dark forces on humanity, and the strength required to overcome them.
The concert forms part of Southbank Centre’s ‘Multitudes’ festival – a new two-week festival (between 23 April - 3 May) that brings together world-class orchestras, dancers, visual artists, poets and MCs to re-imagine orchestral music for the modern world – and for all the senses.
The festival comes at a time when the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual audience trends report reveals that the orchestral audience is broadening and diversifying but – with that - comes new expectations of what audiences want from their concert hall experiences. Whilst excellence of music making remains the top priority (51%), concert-goes want more than this: nationally, 30% of orchestral concert goers say they look for live experiences that inspire discovery and 25% want to be surprised by a variety of concert formats. Beyond this, many want a concert experiences that deepen their knowledge of the artform and others want performances that inspire their creativity in other aspects of life. The artistic essence of ‘Multitudes’ responds to many of these audience desires.
Further, the RPO audience research also reveals that people in London are those most likely in the UK (86%) to say that their interest in learning about overseas cultures from around the world was key to their interest in music and the arts – with interest expressed in learning more about music from wide-ranging geographies, including the Caribbean, Japan, Russia, China, Latin America, Scandinavia and Middle East.
Vasily Petrenko, Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra comments: “At a time when the orchestral audience is growing and diversifying, people’s journeys of discovery point towards the concert hall and we have to be open to re-imagining the context in which music can be enjoyed. Shostakovich’s defiant Symphony No.7 presents a message of solidarity to people around the world that are having to endure – whether military, economic or cultural. In a world of many tensions, polarity and populism, our performance of universal human relevance will speak to everyone about the strength of the human condition to overcome the dark forces of adversity. This is a symphony very close to my heart and the video installation will add to the drama, the emotion and it will help to frame the sheer dramatic power of the music.”
Sarah Bardwell, managing Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra adds: “The RPO is delighted to be performing as part of the inaugural Multitudes festival. As our research shows 62% of Londoners say the vibrancy of the capital’s arts venues makes them proud of the city’s rich music heritage, and within this, 80% of Londoners place great importance of the diversity of musical styles that can be enjoyed in the city. The Southbank Centre is core to the artistic life of London, and the innovative Multitudes festival is an exciting addition to the musical calendar. The RPO is proud to be part of it.”
Mark Ball, Artistic Director at Southbank Centre comments: “With Multitudes, we challenge audiences to leave their expectations at the door: the festival will present orchestral music reimagined for all the senses by world-class orchestras, dancers, visual artists, poets and MCs. The festival is part of our mission to ensure that the Southbank Centre is a place for everyone, where people can freely exchange ideas and perspectives, reaching untapped audiences who will sustain the future of classical music."
For more information, images or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Guy Bellamy / Rebecca Ellis Owen - elephant communications: Tel - 07766 775216 / 07899 668853
For more information and to buy tickets for Multitudes Festival visit: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/multitudes/
The new RPO annual insight report ‘Journeys of discovery: The tastes and preferences of the modern orchestral audience’ is available on request:
