British orchestra to play first concert in Second Life

A British orchestra is to become the first to perform a professional music concert in the virtual online world of Second Life, it said Tuesday.

The Liverpool Philharmonic said audience members from across the world will "sit" in a three-dimensional virtual version of its home venue in the north-west England city and listen live as the real orchestra plays.

The concert on September 14, featuring works from Rachmaninov, Ravel and contemporary Liverpool composers John McCabe and Kenneth Hesketh, will be conducted by its principal conductor Vasily Petrenko.

Just like a real concert, the orchestra said the audience will be able to interact with each other, buy sweets from the refreshments shop and even nip to the toilet.

A question and answer session is planned for after the event with the conductor.

Second Life, set up by San Francisco, California-based Linden Lab in 2003, currently has almost nine million "inhabitants" across the world. These avatars -- alter egos of the real-life users -- can socialise and trade online.

Sweden opened a virtual embassy in the fantasy world in May and the Maldives also has a mission there. Major name brands such as car manufacturer Toyota and clothing makers Jean-Paul Gaultier and Adidas have opened Second Life stores.

Tickets for the inaugural concert are to be offered free in a competition via the orchestra`s website, www.liverpoolphil.com.

Orchestra bosses said the initiative was part of a drive to tap into a potentially global audience and make music more accessible.

sections: Culture