BERLIN, 28 May 2020 – IDAGIO, the leading streaming service for classical music, launches the Global Concert Hall, a new online concert venue made available to audiences worldwide. Artists and ensembles will use this audiovisual platform to offer their own exclusive digital concerts, and their audiences can support them directly from the comfort of their own homes with their ticket purchases. At IDAGIO, artists are empowered in their creative endeavors through a wide-reaching platform which allows them to connect with existing fans, and enabled to share music that is meaningful to them with a broader audience. The Global Concert Hall is the next evolutionary phase of the Fair Artist Payout Model, launched in 2015, to ensure that artists are properly compensated for their content. 80% of the net proceeds from ticket sales go directly to the artists.
The concerts are streamed live and are available across the globe for 24 hours following the initial broadcast. An array of interactive features elevates the Global Concert Hall experience above existing options: artists offer personal introductions to their programs and remain online following the performance to chat directly with audience members in the Virtual Green Room, to answer questions and to collectively reflect on the performance. Further interactive features are being developed in collaboration with participating artists.
The Global Concert Hall’s launch partners include Teldex Studios, Berlin, and the production company OTB Medien, both of which are synonymous with the highest quality audio and video production, and are known for their classical music expertise. Concert tickets are available on the IDAGIO apps and at globalconcerthall.com, with tickets also available through partner websites.
On Friday, May 29 (8pm Berlin / 2pm New York) the Global Concert Hall will launch with a concert by the innovative Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen, and features the unique opportunity for the audience to select Mari’s encore live during the performance. In June, concerts featuring renowned artists from various disciplines will be featured on the platform, including baritone Thomas Hampson, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, soprano Kristine Opolais, and pianist Garrick Ohlsson. IDAGIO’s Global Concert Hall will also broadcast the reopening concerts of the Maggio Musicale in Florence, Italy, with Maestro Zubin Mehta, tenor Francesco Meli, and other artists, as well as pianist Lars Vogt’s annual “Ghost Festival,” featuring violinists Isabelle Faust and Vilde Frang, clarinettist Sharon Kam, and others. Future concerts will include performances by bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, tenor Matthew Polenzani, soprano Ailyn Pérez, pianist Stefano Bollani, tenor Brian Jagde, and more.
American baritone Thomas Hampson, one of the first artists to take part in this initiative, says: “With the Corona crisis, the concert and opera sector has come to a complete standstill. At the same time, the situation that has developed where streamed performances are offered for free devalues artists’ work and threatens our livelihood. The Global Concert Hall marks the beginning of a new era, since it is not only a virtual stage and a site for artistic experimentation. It also helps artists to be proactive and to take charge of the current situation, giving us more control over our programs and through such interactive elements as the Digital Green Room after the concerts, which will bring us closer to audiences in new ways.”
IDAGIO Founder – Till Janczukowicz: “The pandemic has led to an unprecedented increase in the popularity of classical music streaming, but almost all of the digital concerts are offered for free. In the near future artists will rely on earning an income online, and audiences want more programmatic variety – both now and whenever the current restrictions are lifted. The internet should provide more than archived broadcasts of old recordings: it’s a medium that offers new opportunities, and we want to use these for classical music. The Global Concert Hall creates new experiences for classical music lovers all over the world, and in doing so, helps musicians and promoters reach listeners directly online: a collaborative initiative and a melting pot for new experiments around classical music and interactivity.”
Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais: “We need music because it gives us hope and the collective feeling of being inspired. Without inspiration, we can’t make great music together. So, especially during this time, let’s speak through music and share it with our audiences online, wherever they are in the world, through the Global Concert Hall.”
Comprehensive discographies of the artists performing on the Global Concert Hall are available on IDAGIO, directly linked to their profiles. Listening to the artists’ recordings on IDAGIO, furthermore, ensures the fair remuneration of the respective rights holders as part of the Fair Artist Payout Model, with playback calculated per user and per second.
IDAGIO Live
IDAGIO recently launched IDAGIO Live, featuring free daily video chats, master classes, and more with classical music artists, educators, and other special guests via IDAGIO.com/live. Recurring hosts for this engaging new format include conductors Antonio Pappano and Iván Fischer, baritone Thomas Hampson, pianist Kirill Gerstein, opera expert Fred Plotkin, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Opera for Peace. Stay tuned for new videos coming soon, and join us for Pride Month programming in June.
About IDAGIO
IDAGIO is the leading streaming service for classical music with more than 1.9 million app downloads and subscribers in 190 countries. Crafted in Berlin by a world-class team of passionate experts in music, technology, business and design, IDAGIO offers a search tailor-made for classical music, expert curation, and an expansive catalogue of over 2 million licensed tracks. IDAGIO is available through the web app and for download via the mobile app with three tiers offered to listeners: IDAGIO Free, IDAGIO Premium, and IDAGIO Premium+.
Visit www.IDAGIO.com, download the app at the App Store or at Google Play.
