The stuff about the titular individual is amusing, but I'm more interested in some of the underlying issues this article touches on. I typically go to a handful of classical concerts in a year, and have been doing so (with occasional gaps) since college. As time passes my own age has approached the average age of the audiences, although I'm still probably a solid 20 years behind.
But I always wonder how this can be. When I was 20 I went to classical concerts where most of the audience seemed to be over 60. Now I'm going to concerts where the audience is still over 60. That means they were in their 40s twenty years ago. So where were they in the audiences I was in back then? It's as if classical music is a developmental stage or ailment, like menopause or arthritis, that consistently hits most people around the same age.
When I think about it, I sometimes feel a sense of dread for the future, because if old people don't keep liking classical music, attending concerts, and donating to orchestras and similar groups, there's the possibility that the whole remarkable apparatus that supports this art will wither away.
FWIW - I have seen several symphonic shows this last year, and will see a few more - they happen to be local orchestras accompanying Beck or The Blackstar Symphony (including musicians who played on David Bowie's final album). Beck's catalog is filled with incredible orchestral arrangements written by his father, David Campbell, it's great to finally hear them live. Trey Anastasio from Phish is also a "serious" composer who writes for orchestra and varied ensembles. I think this is a viable way forward for orchestras to at least fill their calendars and attract people who might not have come to see a Mahler or Beethoven symphony.
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[ 4.7 ms ] story [ 22.4 ms ] threadBut I always wonder how this can be. When I was 20 I went to classical concerts where most of the audience seemed to be over 60. Now I'm going to concerts where the audience is still over 60. That means they were in their 40s twenty years ago. So where were they in the audiences I was in back then? It's as if classical music is a developmental stage or ailment, like menopause or arthritis, that consistently hits most people around the same age.
When I think about it, I sometimes feel a sense of dread for the future, because if old people don't keep liking classical music, attending concerts, and donating to orchestras and similar groups, there's the possibility that the whole remarkable apparatus that supports this art will wither away.