A lecture by Anthony De Ritis

…one of he most compelling examples of communicating the brand and values of an institution anywhere on the Web. By using motion, sound, and highly sophisticated (but beautifully simple) interactive teaching tools, the BSO’s Online Conservatory does more to sell the value of a big-city symphony than any brochure, sell sheet, or TV spot ever could.

– The ClickZ Network

In February 2003 the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Online Conservatory educational initiative was first released to the public, an interactive multimedia addition to the BSO website developed by Northeastern University professors Anthony De Ritis, Ann McDonald and Jay Laird. It offers browsers an opportunity to explore some of the dimensions of BSO performances, view documentaries on the lives and works of the composers, and learn about the musical concepts exemplified by each piece of music.

The Online Conservatory has had numerous citations for its award-winning flash-based design, instructional design, and information technology, including in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Symphony and Newsweek magazines and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Forrester Research cited the Online Conservatory as an international “best-practice” in web-based marketing. In April 2006, the BSO repurposed the Online Conservatory’s web-based documentaries as video and audio podcasts for iTunes. By June 2006, Gramophone magazine stated that the BSO had already received more than 100,000 downloads.

Northeastern University professor Anthony De Ritis will demonstrate the Online Conservatory, discuss its origin and history, answer questions about the creative process. He will then discuss how this 5-year project has now opened the doors for various cutting-edge converging media projects at the intersection of Web 2.0, Digital Media and music industry.