SAN DIEGO, CA (October 4, 1999) - Global Music Network, Inc. (www.gmn.com), the Internet’s premier site for complete live performances of classical music, opera, and jazz, announced today that Plácido Domingo has joined GMN.com’s board of directors and is becoming a GMN “family artist.” Mr. Domingo has also agreed to produce recordings of himself and colleagues, including emerging young talent which will be available exclusively at GMN.com. This agreement is Domingo’s first major venture in the world of online music. The company also announced today an expanded site which includes a new jazz programming channel and the opportunity to purchase music online.
In less than two years, GMN.com has become the leading destination for those interested in classical music, jazz, and opera. With an emphasis on live performances and a family of artists who provide entertainment and educational components, visitors can watch and listen to over 200 hours of music and 60 hours of video, much of which is available only on GMN.com. Earlier this year, GMN.com broadcast the first-ever live video of an opera on the Internet, a series of performances by the Kirov Opera at the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“Through GMN.com’s live webcasts, music lovers can visit the most prestigious halls and festivals in the world, such as Russia’s White Nights Festival, from their own homes,” said Domingo. “The Web is becoming an important outlet for music, not only for established artists, but especially for younger musicians who deserve to be heard. In addition, it will also permit artists to perform repertoire not available elsewhere.”
“Plácido Domingo is a welcome addition to our family of artists, festivals, and venues, now numbering over 50. He epitomizes our corporate values and mission -- to feature musicians’ musicians who perform with passion and want to educate, mentor, guide, communicate, and leverage the potential of this new medium,” said Michael Lubin, Chairman and CEO of GMN.com.
“Our announcement at this time coincides with two important site changes,” Lubin added. “First, jazz fans will be able to enjoy the same high-quality performances online as their classical and opera counterparts, including performances from Birdland in New York City and the JVC Jazz Festival. Second, GMN.com will shortly offer visitors the opportunity to purchase music online from our catalog of over 280,000 CD’s. This will be followed by an ability to download or custom compile selections from GMN.com’s proprietary archive of hundreds of hours of live and recommended performances.”
Committed to high quality audio and video, and the broadest dissemination of its artists and content, GMN.com has formed relationships with leading technology players, including Intel (Nasdaq:INTC), Liquid Audio (Nasdaq:LQID), Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), Real Networks (Nasdaq:RNWK), and InterVu (Nasdaq ITVU). GMN.com will shortly encode also in Quicktime.
The site offers unsurpassed educational and entertainment value content, with contributions from GMN.com’s family of artists, and linkages to program notes, music dictionaries, and related content. The content is fully integrated with the musical performances, so guests can learn about a piece of music at the same time they are listening or watching. Domingo will be closely involved with adding new educational content to GMN.com.
“GMN.com has solidified its position as the place for classical music, opera, and jazz. We want aficionados, music lovers, and novices to ‘look, listen, learn, and enjoy,” Lubin concluded. “With the addition of our first e-commerce initiatives, the potential for this site is limitless.”
About Global Music Network
GMN.com, the leading Internet destination for classical, opera, jazz, and related music, uniquely combines a marketplace and a performing arts space, offering the highest-quality music and products available online. By bringing together its family of leading artists and the latest communications technology, GMN.com provides exclusive live performances, video interviews, lectures, recitals and a range of value-added content.
