Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s (APO) popular livestream looks set to reach a record audience this week thanks to a new relationship with the UK’s Classic FM.
The UK’s largest commercial radio station and most popular go-to channel for classical music lovers in Britain and across the world will stream, via Facebook, the APO’s Sound the Horn concert, from Auckland’s Town Hall, this Thursday night from 7.30pm NZ standard time (8.30am Thursday 18 May in the UK).
While the APO has been successfully livestreaming selected concerts on its website and Facebook pages since 2014, this time, followers of Classic FM will also be able to enjoy the APO live in the comfort of their own homes, as well as via the NZ Herald Facebook page and on the Radio New Zealand web site.
Multi-award-winning station Classic FM has a Facebook following of over a million people worldwide, which vastly increases the potential audience for this special concert by Auckland’s leading orchestra.
CEO of the APO Barbara Glaser says, “Our livestreams have been steadily increasing in popularity since we started, for people who can’t be in the concert hall with us. Not only that, we’ve had radio presence in an increasing number of countries across the world, including most recently in Ireland and Denmark.
“This tells us two things; that our livestream programme has proved highly effective in helping us reach a significantly wider audience, also that the APO is in-demand across the world as our international reputation continues to grow,” Glaser says.
This week’s concert showcases the mastery of visiting conductor Tadaaki Otaka and horn soloist Stefan Dohr. The programme comprises Beethoven’s The Creatures of Prometheus: Overture, the
R. Strauss Horn Concerto No.1 and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2.
Recognised as being one of the world’s finest horn players, Stefan Dohr has been the Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1993. He is also a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet as well as the Ensemble Wien-Berlin.
Japanese Maestro Tadaaki Otaka is Permanent Conductor of the NHK Symphony and Conductor Laureate of BBC National Orchestra of Wales, to which he was appointed in 1996.
Classic FM can be found on 100-102 FM, digital radio, digital TV and online throughout the UK. The concert will also be streamed on the New Zealand Herald’s Facebook page and broadcast live on Radio NZ Concert, as usual.