Lifesize High Definition Video Communications Connects Orchestra Musicians in Philadelphia with New World Symphony Musicians in Miami
Lifesize, the high definition video communications company, today announced that The Philadelphia Orchestra will be using Lifesize® Room™ to conduct a live music workshop between the MAGPI/UPENN studio in Philadelphia and New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, in Miami. Lifesize Room is a high definition video communications product that delivers exceptional video and audio quality at any bandwidth, allowing geographically distributed participants to interact more effectively across distances.
This is the first time that The Philadelphia Orchestra will have conducted a live music session using Lifesize high definition video communications. As a founding member of Internet2 – a consortium of more than 200 U.S. universities that develops and deploys advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education – the University of Pennsylvania has been providing connectivity and support for high bandwidth applications to area institutions since 1999 through its Internet2 hub, MAGPI.
“We are thrilled to be working with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Lifesize on this event and look forward to the next phase of transmitting live performances in high definition video,” said Greg Palmer, Executive Director, MAGPI.
The live instructional workshop between The Philadelphia Orchestra and New World Symphony will take place from 12:45-1:45pm EST on November 30, 2006. In Philadelphia, Philadelphia Orchestra Music Animateur Thomas Cabaniss and 2 Philadelphia Orchestra musicians will lead a workshop for 4 bass players from New World Symphony in Miami, where the event will be attended by other New World Symphony musicians. Mr. Cabaniss and the Orchestra musicians will provide instruction and input to the New World Symphony musicians on the topics of audience engagement techniques and performance.
“This workshop is a wonderful opportunity for members of The Philadelphia Orchestra to share their talent and artistry with other musicians around the world, using state-of-the-art technology,” said Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO James Undercofler. “We are pleased to partner with such innovative leaders in internet and communications, and we hope this will be the first of many similar ventures as we seek to extend the reach of this great Orchestra beyond the Philadelphia region.”
“It is quite exciting to see Lifesize high definition video communications being used for applications like musical instruction,” said Craig Malloy, CEO of Lifesize. “The superior quality of our video and audio creates such a life-like setting that the overall participant experience minimizes the actual physical separation.”
Lifesize Room, with its patent-pending industrial design and high definition technology, offers the very best price-to-performance value available on the market. By delivering better video quality at any bandwidth, Lifesize Room enables all types of businesses to benefit from a greatly enhanced user experience through more effective communications.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra has distinguished itself as one of the leading orchestras in the world through a century of acclaimed performances, historic international tours, best-selling recordings, and its unprecedented record of innovation in recording technologies and outreach. The Orchestra annually touches the lives of more than one million music lovers worldwide through its performances, publications, recordings, and broadcasts. It presents a subscription season in Phila¬delphia each year from September to May, in addition to education and community partnership programs, and appears annually at Carnegie Hall. Visit www.philorch.org for more information.
About MAGPI
MAGPI, The University of Pennsylvania’s Internet2 hub, provides regional and Internet2 connectivity to its member institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. MAGPI is committed to promoting advanced applications, collaborations, and services for the K20 research and education community through high performance networking technology. For more information about MAGPI, visit http://www.magpi.net.
