LocalArtsLive
Philadelphia classical music events, discussion, and directory
Younger and more diverse audiences for classical music? Chime in with your creative solution!
LocalArtsLive was created before the management of Philadelphia Orchestra announced their intention to file for chapter 11, but it was already clear that creative solutions were needed to appeal to broader audiences. Anyone attending the big name events could take one glance and conclude that something needed to be done. Not to put it in too harsh of terms, but unless a younger, and hopefully, more diverse fan base was developed, the financial support for this genre could quite literally pass away.
Why the sea of gray hair? Was it a lack of interest with younger demographics? I think not. Even skeptics in that group will admit how touched they were by classical music that made its appearance in movies or other non-traditional presentations.
Classical music has evolved over hundreds of years and will continue to do so because the best of it can strip away linguistic and cultural differences while tearing though space and time to speak to us in a direct emotional bond. Assuming that bond can be established in younger and more diverse audiences, what do we need to do to encourage them to attend live performances and financially support the organizations? Will the future look like the "band" Alarm Will Sound (see photo)? Can younger audiences find the value in an uninterrupted 90 minute Mahler symphony in our uber-distracted world? What, specifically do we need to do in the Philadelphia region to strengthen the classical music community?
Personally, I believe that the future is bright and that it will include both traditional presentations and modern multi-media events, but that we must act now to sow the seeds for future generations. What are your thoughts?
Tags: Philadelphia orchestra, classical music, creative solutions, diversity, young audience
Views: 29
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Doug Laustsen on -
I think when people in the young professional class are looking for a weekend entertainment, the event itself is only part of the equation. A lot of people my age would like to see challenging music performed at a high level, but we also want to be relaxed and hang out with friends, and there are lots of ways to do this on a concrete level. I just read what seems like a really effective way of including the age group that is generally absent from the concert hall on Greg Sandow's blog. He talks about LSO hosted events that are set far away from their normal concert hall performances but still linked to the Orchestra. This seems like the most effective marketing towards my age group I've heard in a while.
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Permalink Reply by Gary King on -
Classical orchestral music emerged in the 18th century, reached its peak about 100 years later, and now is in decline. Today’s symphony orchestra is primarily a type of museum, where the public goes to experience art works that were mostly created between 100 – 200 years ago. Those who love this music like to believe that it is timeless and has universal appeal. However, the reality is that the audience for this music museum is shrinking. This audience is literally dying away. In a recent interview, minimalist composer, Steve Reich, said, “ Brahms is a great composer…but I don’t want to hear a note of it, not now, not later, not ever. Same thing for Mahler, Wagner, Sibelius. If it all disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t even know.” Reich’s music is written for, and played by small, conductor-less ensembles, like Alarm Will Sound and Bang on a Can. If this is the kind of “classical” music and types of music ensembles, which will be preferred by younger audiences, and toward which the experience of non-popular music will gravitate, then groups like the Philadelphia Orchestra, as we know them today, will probably not continue to exist. The experience of classical orchestral music, the music museum, could still be had with many fewer live orchestra concerts, supplemented with recordings.
© 2013 Created by Sharon Torello.
