Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra is a very ambitious project. Organizers are planning for the participation of 2008 musicians from 40 countries to support the theme of the Beijing Olympic Games – “One World, One Dream”. Over the two week schedule the musicians will perform together, in addition to performing as three separate orchestras, each with its own unique style. Also within each of the three orchestras, the top musicians will have opportunities to perform as separate entities.

Participating groups for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra are identified as the Red Orchestra representing the Americas, the Green Orchestra representing the Pacific Islands and the Gold Orchestra which represents China. The Red Orchestra is comprised of musicians from high schools and universities from different regions in the United States, including California, Washington and Oregon. The Green Orchestra has representative musicians from Australia and Guam. The Gold Orchestra is principally comprised of students from schools within the Haidan District of Beijing.

The opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is on 8 August and the orchestra will play a significant role in the celebrations. The orchestra will also be participating in the pre-game celebrations, which will take place in and around Beijing from 1 to 8 August as arranged by the Cultural, Ceremonies and Entertainment Divisions of the Olympic Committee. A goal has been set by the organizers to only perform for audiences of 5,000 or more.

Two performances have already been confirmed by all the relevant Olympic committees. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra will be performing in the Olympic Village that will be accommodating athletes from all over the world, as well as in Tian Jin as approved by their local Olympic committee. Negotiations for numerous other performances are under way and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra is expected to contribute significantly to promoting an atmosphere of unity during the Olympic Games.

The international conference and exhibition center of Grand Epoch City has been chosen as the Official Olympic Orchestra Village. Musicians will enjoy many conveniences in this village which boasts traditional Chinese architecture and landscaping based on the old Beijing city during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The village has shopping areas, restaurants, several hotels and plenty of space in exhibition halls for rehearsals.

There is no doubt that opportunities like this are rare, and musicians are encouraged to give of their very best to ensure that performances of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra are memorable occasions – for musicians and audiences alike.