NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- The YouTube and Carnegie Hall generations collided Wednesday night in New York City as a nearly sold-out audience looked on in amazement . Images from musicians ' videos are projected during the YouTube Symphony Orchestra concert in New York . Almost 100 musicians from around the world -- the world 's first symphony orchestra comprised of members who auditioned solely online -- played their debut gig . They may have forever changed the audition process in their journey . The YouTube Symphony Orchestra bore a new era of classical performance at Carnegie Hall , and according to a YouTube employee , that 's exactly what they wanted to do . `` We hope this is game changing in the sense it redefines audition space , it brings people closer together and lets them collaborate , transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries , '' said marketing manager Ed Sanders . Participants were chosen from more than 3,000 YouTube video submissions from more than 70 countries and territories spanning six continents , according to a press release . Watch orchestra play » . Their YouTube channel has received more than 15 million page views thus far with members hailing from more than 30 countries . The symphony orchestra 's members participated in the three-day Classical Music Summit at Julliard and their Carnegie Hall debut served as the finale . Michael Tilson Thomas directed the performance and also served as the artistic adviser and conductor to the orchestra . He refined and nurtured each member through their musical selections online until the entire orchestra met in the real world a few days ago . `` For us it 's somewhere between a classical music summit conference and a scout jamboree with an element of speed dating thrown in , '' Thomas said . While some participants traveled from as far as South Korea , Malaysia and Lithuania , bass player Kurt Hinterbichler lives in New York City . A theoretical physicist working on his doctorate at Columbia University , Hinterbichler was enamored at being chosen to participate . `` Carnegie Hall is still sort of the unofficial pinnacle of achievement of the classical music world , '' he said . `` You know once you 've made it to Carnegie Hall you 've really made it . '' So , how do you get to Carnegie Hall ? `` Upload , upload , upload [ YouTube videos ] , '' joked Thomas , updating the old `` practice , practice , practice '' punchline . Violin player Jennifer Lindsay , who is a systems engineer by day , said she was floored when she learned she was selected . `` YouTube gave me this opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall . There 's no other way that someone like me who is not even a professional musician would have ever made it . '' World-renowned composer Tan Dun created a piece especially for the orchestra titled `` Internet Symphony No . 1 , Eroica . '' Dun told YouTube his inspiration for this piece came from the streets of many international cities . `` On the streets of New York , London , Paris , Beijing , Shanghai , I heard the street noise ... then I thought this is the spirit beyond , this is the spirit of today . '' Dun has also created music for the movie `` Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon '' and the Beijing Summer Olympics . The symphony orchestra played to a Carnegie Hall audience that was almost 90 percent of capacity . Audience members seemed to love not only the performance , but the idea as a whole . Peter Newton and his wife were on vacation in New York from London and decided to attend the concert . `` The mixture between the music and democracy ... it 's interesting that at the end of the day , you bring them together for this performance , '' he said . Aaron Polsky attended the performance in support of his sister , who helped organize it . He was amazed at how limitless the performance seemed . `` I think it 's great ... there are really no boundaries other than owning a computer and an Internet connection . '' Musicians Lindsay and Hinterbichler both said they had no doubts the event would be a success . `` Absolutely do not underestimate the motivational power of playing at Carnegie Hall , '' Lindsay said . Hinterbichler agreed , `` We 've got world class conductors , it will come together . '' In the spirit of YouTube , Travis Threlkel designed videos that accompanied all 15 musical selections . The lights in the room changed from green to red during some segments to match the mood of the selection . Dun said he thought the concert would be a hit with the Internet community . `` The whole world tonight is Googling around what 's happening in Carnegie Hall , '' he said . Hinterbichler said he still did not grasp the vast reality of the situation . `` It 's going to be one of those life experiences you know . I probably wo n't know what it means until ten years down the line when I look back at it , '' he said . So , what will the folks at YouTube come up with next ? `` There should be a live Internet performance [ by the orchestra ] , '' said Newton , the audience member . After Wednesday night , that certainly seems like a possibility .
The YouTube and Carnegie Hall events collided Wednesday in New York City . The Symphony Orchestra played a live concert to an amazed audience . Orchestra ##tions from all around the world who ` ` auditioned '' online . So , how do you get to Carnegie Hall ? ` ` Upload , upload , upload videos ''