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Marin Alsop, Principal Conductor ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna #59 How does an orchestra use digitalisation? At first glance, a symphony orchestra seems to do well without digitalisation. The musicians play their instruments, sounds surf through the air on invisible waves and reach the ears of the concert audience.

And yet, digitalisation also offers possibilities in classical music that are now being used intensively by all orchestras. Firstly, this means addressing a worldwide audience through the various digital channels. In a classical concert hall we reach 2,000 visitors per evening (if Corona doesn't interfere ...), via digital exploitation and social media we reach hundreds of times that number. Concert recordings, music recordings, presentations of our musicians, interviews with composers and soloists - all these formats, whether they last 20 seconds or 2 hours, are produced, presented and distributed with digital technology. If we make full use of the possibilities of digital dialogue, we can also let the audience participate in our work and give our listeners the feeling that they are a part of the orchestra.

Secondly, a radio symphony orchestra can and must use the resources available to a media company. By taking up its infrastructure, the ORF symphony orchestra also represents the latest in (digital) recording and playout technology in social media. In the end, the orchestra is measured against the high professionalism of its broadcaster.
Finally, the music itself also picks up on digitalisation. Composers all over the world are making use of digital possibilities, not only through music writing programmes, but also where digital processes influence the art of composing itself.

In all this, let us not forget: The magic of music is best revealed in the personal encounter between orchestra and audience. Digitalisation can intensify the desire for this magic, it can add new facets to it, but it cannot replace it. The most beautiful space for experiencing music is the live concert.