Today, the Edinburgh International Festival releases thousands of tickets for the completely free 15,000 capacity Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: LA Phil at Tynecastle. The tickets are available from 10am at www.eif.co.uk.
The Opening Event sees one of the world’s leading orchestras, conducted by the legendary Gustavo Dudamel, perform some of the best-loved film music in front of a vast crowd at the iconic Tynecastle Stadium. Due to an earlier start time, informal environment, world-famous and widely accessible musical programme, and significant capacity, the concert is expected to attract a mix of families, music lovers, and first-time classical music audiences.
Gustavo Dudamel said: “To be at the Edinburgh International Festival is always an honour, it’s a symbol of Scotland and a privilege to be part of it. The Festival is one of the first places I visited, first with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and then with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, and now together for the first time with the LA Phil. It’s an outstanding festival and a perfect setting to continue our centennial celebrations.”
Edinburgh International Festival’s Learning and Engagement team has been working with Tynecastle High to develop the Tynecastle High International Festival Ambassadors, a self-selected group of students from across the school, that created a one-off community event, Heart of Hollywood. In preparation for the event, a series of workshops were held at the school investigating the music of John Williams and the relationship between film and music.
Another project in Gorgie and Dalry sees primary school pupils designing their own stars in the style of those in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, celebrating the children’s own talents. These will be unveiled in Tynecastle Stadium’s plaza in early August. Gustavo Dudamel himself has a Walk of Fame star which was unveiled in January 2019 in the presence of composer John Williams.
Caroline Donald, Head of Learning and Engagement, Edinburgh International Festival said: “The Festival’s community projects and partnerships have been embedded in the planning ever since we started working on the Opening Event. We have been working with primary schools and young people in Gorgie and Dalry areas on various projects not only showcasing their individual talents but also developing their creative and employability skills.”
“With the Opening Event happening at the iconic Tynecastle Stadium it has also given us a chance to bring a whole new audience to the Festival. Thanks to a familiar repertoire and early start, we also hope the event will be popular with families with young children.”
“I hope the impact of the Festival’s engagement work will be felt in the local community for years to come and everyone will have a fantastic evening.”
