“To many, the decision announced last week to launch Scala Radio, a major new station founded on the belief that classical music can appeal to younger audiences, will have come as a surprise,” writes Vanessa Thorpe in Sunday’s (1/27) Guardian (U.K.). “But research has shown clear indications of new listening trends, with almost half (45%) of young people saying they see classical music as an escape from the noise of modern life. The new digital radio station will have DJ Simon Mayo at the forefront … when it launches in March. Mayo, who left BBC Radio 2 last year, will be joined at Scala by the unorthodox orchestral music lover Goldie and Observer film critic Mark Kermode, who will play many of his favorite film scores…. Research found that a new generation of listeners was switching on to classical music through different sources, with 48% of under-35s exposed to it through classical versions of popular songs, such as the Brooklyn Duo version of Taylor Swift’s “Blank.’… Jack Pepper, Britain’s youngest commissioned composer, will also be joining Scala. The 19-year-old … said, … ‘A classical composer is a normal human being with the same ups and downs we can all relate to.’ ”
Posted January 31, 2019
