Google Play Music’s world-first initiatives offers music lovers the chance to download and stream the latest concert recordings.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has become the first orchestra in the entire Asia-Pacific region to be inducted into a collective of the world’s best for Classical Live, a new digital initiative by Google Play Music making current orchestral concert recordings available to classical music-lovers all over the planet, it was announced earlier today.

SSO join an impressive lineup of other world-class orchestras featured on the online streaming service, including Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. Classical Live is the first initiative of its type in the world, offering current concert recordings for digital download and streaming. The first SSO recordings available will be the second symphonies of Schumann and Sibelius, conducted by Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson, and an excerpt from Respighi’s The Pines of Rome with Charles Dutoit, recorded by ABC Classic FM at the Sydney Opera House.

David Robertson said these recordings from the orchestra’s 2015 season are perfect for the Classical Live service because they showcase the distinct artistry of the SSO musicians. “The virtuosity and the heart of the music, the real emotional content, is something the Sydney Symphony Orchestra brings out strongly in all its performances − but particularly in the second symphonies of Schumann and Sibelius,” Robertson said. “We think this is something Classical Live listeners around the world will really connect with.” “Both Schumann and Sibelius wrote symphonies that are, at times, like big chamber works. The usage of the mass and individual voices is something that is really fascinating in these works and I think that comes across in these recordings,” Robertson added.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Managing Director Rory Jeffes said the SSO was excited to be part a globally reaching program, adding another layer to the organisation’s significant digital presence. “We are delighted to be among the world’s leading orchestras invited to participate in this selective program,” Jeffes said. “Classical Live allows audiences around the world, no matter where they are, to experience the best live concert recordings from the SSO.” The SSO have embraced the internet in several major initiatives in the past year. Earlier this year a series of online masterclasses with SSO’s musicians were published on YouTube, intended to help aspiring orchestral musicians prepare for auditions, and last month SSO launched Backstage News+, a multi-media content hub, offering the latest news about the SSO. Also joining Classical Live’s stable of orchestras today are the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris.

Classical Live is available from Google Play.