Global Ode to Joy

The original Global Ode to Joy was conceived by Marin Alsop in partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall. Alsop was set to lead performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on six continents with ten renowned orchestras. The concert experience was to be reimagined for local communities, presenting new music alongside the music of Beethoven and artists from each region. As part of each performance, the “Ode to Joy” text was to be translated into a local language.

The first concert took place in December 2019 with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, every concert scheduled for 2020 was postponed or canceled.

The digital project — #GlobalOdeToJoy — was conceived by cultural organizations around the world in partnership with and supported by Google Arts & Culture and YouTube to keep the spirit of the original project alive. The best videos were featured on Google Arts & Culture’s YouTube channel and in a grand finale video.