FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Mendez, cmendez@kusc.org 213/225-7470
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    LOS ANGELES, CA --- Exploring the most beautiful concert halls and opera houses across the globe now can be done from the comfort of your own iPad with WorldVenues, a new geolocation app created by Classical KUSC.

From the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City to the secret treasure of Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, this free-to-download app plots a wide variety of hand-selected venues on an interactive map for users to visit virtually.

Like a digital coffee table book, WorldVenues features robust profiles full of photos and videos to give viewers a glimpse of what it’s like to be inside the world’s most intriguing halls. Brief histories and lists of fast facts also are provided to shed light on each venue’s ambiance, architecture and backstory.

“We are excited to give classical music fans an interactive way to see the places where their favorite pieces were performed around the world,” says Brenda Barnes, president of USC Radio.

To navigate the app, users can search for a specific place or select a digital tour to see venues with a similar theme -- such as halls with ideal acoustics or haunted histories.
                        
“Not everyone can travel to see these kinds of performing arts centers, but new media projects like this can introduce a world of music to a new generation,” says Chris Mendez, director of KUSC Interactive, which developed WorldVenues.

This is the second free classical music app KUSC Interactive has released. In September, its app Soundsnips was launched. Soundsnips is a new way to appreciate classical music while learning interesting facts about compositions, instruments, musicians and composers – all without interrupting the music. As each selection plays, written comments and explanations pop up on viewers’ iPhone, iPod or iPad screens.

For more information on WorldVenues, please visit http://worldvenu.es
For more information on Soundsnips, visit http://soundsnips.org

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