On Monday afternoon, maestro Kent Nagano led nearly 1000 musicians — ranging from age 5 to 82 — in an impromptu concert in a Berlin shopping mall. Approximately 1500 onlookers were treated to music by Verdi, Wagner and Bizet.
The 'symphonic mob' included instruments that one typically finds in an orchestra, as well as less traditional instruments like accordions, recorders and ukuleles.
The idea behind the mob is to encourage musicians of all ages and talent levels to perform by giving them an opportunity to perform with professionals and be led by a famous conductor.
"To me the idea of a flashmob was so strange, so artificial," Maestro Nagano explained to Euronews. "So, I had a serious discussion with my daughter. And my daughter, of course, is very much plugged in to the technical generation. So, I said, you know, 'I'm not feeling so comfortable.' And she replied, 'Oh papa, just get over it. It's the same thing, it's just meeting someone in the Bahnhof (station) or meeting someone on the street. You have to be open. Be open to the experience of meeting people for the first time. Don't be afraid.'"
Hear some of the performance in the video below.
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