“VAN BEETHOVEN” Coincides With IMMORTAL BEETHOVEN Festival at Walt Disney Concert Hall; Gustavo Dudamel Leads LA Phil and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in Two Complete Symphonic Cycles

SINGLE TICKETS FOR IMMORTAL BEETHOVEN ON SALE TUES. AUG. 4 at 10 AM

Project support provided by the David C. Bohnett Presidential Fund for Discovery and Innovation

VAN Beethoven is supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation

Los Angeles, August 3, 2015 – In an innovative venture at the forefront of one of technology’s most exciting frontiers, the Los Angeles Philharmonic launches the VAN Beethoven mobile tour, featuring the LA Phil’s new Orchestra VR virtual reality app. The VAN Beethoven customized truck will tour Los Angeles, Sept. 11 – Oct. 18, 2015, offering Angelenos the unprecedented opportunity to experience the first minutes of Beethoven’s timeless Symphony No. 5, led by Gustavo Dudamel at Walt Disney Concert Hall, in an immersive, 360-degree, 3D, environment.

Visitors will be welcomed aboard the customized VAN Beethoven truck, complete with carpet and seating from Walt Disney Concert Hall, where they’ll put on the Oculus headset and be transported to the iconic venue. The immersive visual private experience is augmented by a soundtrack that adapts to the viewer’s perspective; whether the viewer is in front of the orchestra, behind or standing amidst the symphony, the music will subtly shift to reflect listener-specific positions and enhance the feeling of being up-close-and-personal with the renowned orchestra.

VAN Beethoven will visit diverse communities throughout Los Angeles, including parks, cultural festivals, museums, and more, providing access to audiences that otherwise may not be able to attend. The full schedule of tour stops is at LAPhil.com/VANBeethoven.

“VAN Beethoven underscores the LA Phil’s dedication to expanding opportunities for access to the widest audience possible,” says Deborah Borda, President and CEO, Los Angeles Philharmonic. “Thanks to the remarkable Oculus virtual reality technology, we can introduce the magnificence of an orchestral performance throughout communities in Los Angeles as never before.”

“Music is a beautiful symbol of unity, and it is very important to share the joy of music with people from all walks of life and from the many different communities in Los Angeles and beyond,” says Gustavo Dudamel. “I have often said music is a fundamental human right, and using this technology helps us to make this mission even stronger.”

The experience was shot on stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Cameras were placed among and around the orchestra, giving unparalleled access to one of the greatest orchestras in the world, playing perhaps the most famous piece of classical music in history.  Interactive agency Secret Location produced the project, capturing the performance with state-of-the-art 360° 3D cameras and binaural audio recording that transports the viewer to various vantage points to experience the performance in a way never before possible.

The VAN Beethoven experience will be available as a free app called Orchestra VR in the Oculus and Samsung Gear VR app stores starting this September, one of the first arts-focused applications to launch on VR headsets, reaching music fans around the world.

To download images, please visit: http://www.laphil.com/press/image-library-overview.

IMMORTAL BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL
Oct. 1 – Oct. 13, 2015

The relationship between the LA Phil and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela epitomizes unity through music, and this season that alliance deepens with the Immortal Beethoven festival. Gustavo Dudamel, the Music Director of both ensembles, leads two complete sequential cycles of Beethoven’s nine symphonies, demonstrating the evolution of one of the greatest composers of all time. The repertoire will be divided between the two orchestras until the festival’s culmination, which unites Dudamel’s musical families in performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. This celebration of Beethoven will be further explored through chamber music and Toyota Symphonies for Youth, including a side-by-side community concert with YOLA and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The first installment of the National Take a Stand Festival, an international teacher training intensive, will take place during this period as well. Immortal Beethoven marks the fourth visit of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela to Los Angeles: two performances during 2007/08, The Mahler Project in 2011/12, followed most recently by TchaikovskyFest in 2013/14.

For full schedule, please visit: http://www.laphil.com/immortalbeethoven

Single tickets for the LA Phil’s Immortal Beethoven festival are available on Tues. Aug. 4 at 10am. Single tickets for the rest of the 2015/16 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall go on sale Sunday, August 23. Subscriptions and Create Your Own packages are currently available. To purchase, please visit LAPhil.com, the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. To order by phone, please call Audience Services at 323.850.2000, or Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

Secret Location is an Emmy® and Cannes Lion Award-winning interactive agency that solves problems through storytelling for brands, ad agencies, producers, and broadcasters. Just six years old, the company has offices in Toronto and Los Angeles. In addition to their Emmy® and Cannes Lion awards and nominations, Secret Location is a five-time Webby and three-time SXSW interactive Award Nominee and a Canadian Screen/Gemini, AToMiC, Creativity International, CASSIES, Marketing Awards and Banff World Media festival winner. Secret Location is led by President, Executive Producer & Founder James Milward, along with partners Pietro Gagliano, SVP/Creative Director and SVP/Technical Director, Ryan Andal.

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