English orchestra tunes up for virtual concert

LONDON (Reuters) - One of Britain's oldest symphony orchestras is to play a concert in Second Life, the virtual Internet world, organizers said on Tuesday.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is building a replica of its concert hall where it will perform works by Rachmaninov, Ravel and two contemporary composers from the northern English city.

The online audience will be able to cough, rustle sweet wrappers and check their phone for messages without upsetting those around them.

After the concert, they can chat to the orchestra's principal conductor Vasily Petrenko and performers in the virtual bar.

Michael Elliott, the orchestra's chief executive, said he hoped the September 14 concert would attract a new audience to classical music.

"It's a lot of fun and certainly adds a different dimension to the more traditional visit to a concert hall," he said.

Second Life (www.secondlife.com) is a three-dimensional world where millions of participants create characters, buy property and interact with each other.