LONDON — The Lexus Symphony Orchestra will appear on stage in London this weekend. In place of the expected formally clad string and brass players, a dozen Lexus LS 460 SE-Ls will sit on stage, doors open, and perform orchestral works piped through the cars' 19-speaker Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound audio systems. The music was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, with the Bach Choir, in London earlier this summer and includes two original works: "Summon the Hero," which Lexus says shows the car audio's "more dynamic and upbeat capabilities;" and "Karma Nirvana," a piece to show the "softer side" of the high-end audio system.
They can be heard at Lexus' U.K. Web site. For the performance, the cars will be arranged onstage like a traditional orchestra, with each car playing the parts of a section, including strings, brass, woodwind, bass and percussion. Lexus is taking pains to note that no PA system or special effects are involved and that all sound will come from the "perfectly standard" cars themselves. The Lexus performance will take place at the "Last Night of the Summer Proms" Pops in the Park event in South London. This will be the second appearance for the car orchestra; the first was earlier this month at Castle Howard near York, England. After the concert, audience members will be invited to check out the cars and their audio quality up close.
