Get Bach to work: Company orchestras are catching on

FRANKFURT, GERMANY – Can performing Beethoven symphonies together help employees team up on projects at work, too? Some companies -- above all in Germany and Asia -- seem to think so. A conspicuous number of big German corporate names -- along with a handful in Japan and South Korea -- have their own company-linked symphony orchestra. That means 60 or so accountants, engineers, sales reps and computer specialists bring violins, cellos, oboes and trombones and gather in their spare time to rehearse and perform lengthy, complex pieces of classical music. The orchestras serve as public relations tools, playing charity concerts and livening up corporate events.