Classicalite's Five Best: Facebook Musical Moments...for FB's 10th Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Facebook!

That's right, the social network that seems to have been around forever is actually only a youth of 10 on February 2.

But it has become so omnipresent in so many of our lives, in so many aspects of our existence, that it seemed only fair and right to compile Classicalite's Five Best classical music Facebook moments...

Facebook Symphony Orchestra

A fun idea from a lowly Facebook employee ended up involving music lovers from around the world, with online auditions and big concerts at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House. A huge affair that involved leading musicians such as, variously, Lang Lang, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gil Shaham, Renée Fleming and others, the Sydney event connected more than 30 million computers to the live stream.

Gangnam Style

The inexplicably popular dance move was taken up on posted videos by various classical turns, including as far afield as the Korean Pops Orchestra (sigh, though we love the way the musicians are so unsmiling). All over Facebook. Now, we hope, all over.

Yundi Li Goes Awry

So unexpected as to be hugely memorable, the much admired Chinese pianist seemed to, err, slightly lose it with this Flight of the (Insane) Bumblebee. Unfair probably to single this out, but it's fresh in the memory...

Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall

It doesn't live on Facebook, but the digital platform that the BPO created in 2008 breathes from it. Without the enormous marketing reach that FB (and indeed Twitter) give the concert hall, would it be quite as successful and influential as it is? Doubt it.

In the Hall of the Mountain King

This is clearly cheating, but fair enough we think. The most dazzling piece of bravura filmmaking in the Facebook movie, The Social Network (written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by David Fincher) featured a bone-crunching boat race set against an electronically souped-up soundtrack of Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King from the Peer Gynt Suites. Facebook, you are our mountain, we are but trolls. And, some of us, dreamers, like poor Peer Gynt.