As part of the London 2012 Festival – a culmination of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad - the Aldeburgh World Orchestra will be resident at Aldeburgh Music during July, performing concerts under Sir Mark Elder at the Aldeburgh Festival on July 20 and 22, at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw on July 27, and at the BBC Proms in London on July 29. The project will bring 120 budding professional musicians aged 18 to 29 from all over the world to Suffolk.

In the lead up to the scheme, Aldeburgh set up a remote masterclass using its own specially developed technology in collaboration with BT Innovate and Design. The technology provides the means to reach out to musical talent from around the world via separate online teaching and auditioning platforms. Through split screen, multiple cameras and enhanced audio quality, teachers can interact with students rather than simply witnessing and commenting on a performance.

Egyptian cellist Marcellino Safwat, the youngest member of the Aldeburgh World Orchestra, received a lesson from London Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Rebecca Gilliver on Wednesday, July 20 – the first time the fully-formed technology had been put to use following a series of test runs. Gilliver, based in Aldeburgh, connected with Safwat in Cairo to give a lesson on the World Orchestra repertoire - including Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and a new commission for the BBC by Charlotte Bray. Gilliver will continue her work with the orchestra as a mentor to the cello section during its Aldeburgh residency.

Watch a video about the the Aldeburgh World Orchestra here.