EVANSTON—Trumpeter Colin Oldberg has been named to the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble project representing a unique marriage between classical music and technology.  Oldberg is a senior, studying with Barbara Butler, and also performs with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Musicians worldwide were invited to audition for the You Tube Symphony by posting videos of a performance to YouTube.  The more than 3,000 submissions from both professionals and amateurs were screened by members of the London and San Francisco Symphonies and the Berlin, New York, and Hong Kong Philharmonics.  They narrowed the pool to 200 performers and voters on YouTube then selected the final participants. 

The 90 plus winners hail from more than 30 countries and range in age from 17 to 55. They will participate in three days of master classes and rehearsals in April plus an April 15 concert at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. 

Tilson Thomas said, “We are very excited about the talent, variety, and adventureousness of the musicians who are coming together from around the world to form the YouTube symphony.”