Sunday’s (12/12), in the second article in a three-part series for the Denver Post about the future of classical music, Kyle MacMillan writes, “After years of debate, denial and hand-wringing, the urgency of the problems facing classical music—from declining audiences to shrinking cultural relevancy—have finally produced a drive for real change. From tiny musical startups like Denver’s coffee shop-hopping Telling Stories ensemble to the venerable Cleveland Orchestra, presenters are experimenting with a new round of tricks meant to invigorate the field and lure new, younger audiences. The question: What might work? The good news for classical music is that it has a great product to sell. … a new breed of conservatory-trained musicians has reinvented crossover in unprecedented ways, fusing classical tradition with hip-hop, indie rock and world music and providing new, exciting audience bridges among these forms at the same time.” The article notes that some orchestras are seeking new ways to connect with audiences: “ ‘Orchestras have been paying attention to this a lot lately,’ said Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive of the League of American Orchestras, ‘and they’ve been recognizing that their audiences are segmented, that they are not all the same, that there is an appetite among some for a different kind of experience.’ ”
Posted December 13, 2010
