can asians save classical music?

[alocispepraluger102]

can asians save classical music?

[Guy Berger]

can asians save classical music?

The advanced age of audiences at classical music concerts is something that I fortunately don't see at jazz concerts.

[T.D.]

Anecdote: When I lived near NYC, I went to quite a few (free) concerts at Manhattan School of Music, just north of Columbia University. I noticed that a very high percentage of the student body was Asian, but was not surprised.

I see where the article is coming from...Will it be enough to "save" classical music? I doubt it, in the sense that I believe big-city orchestras will continue to shave costs and occasionally close down.

[alocispepraluger102]

how classical music coexists with the great asian musical tradition might be a fascinating topic.

[seeline]

As far as I know, classical music is alive and well in Europe - look at countries like Finland.

It's here in the US that things (including audiences and funding) are problematic.

[David Ayers]

I read most of that article though might have skipped a bit, but I didn't notice much discussion of the related subject about how regular orchestral tours to China (in particular) are an important part of the activities of major Western orchestras (such as the LSO).

In general I find the argument about the death of classical music a bit tired. Every concert I go to is either sold out or at least very full (in venues with a capacity of maybe 2000). Maybe I only go to the best things. I might be wrong but I think that classical music is something that a lot of people gravitate to as they get older and they start to pursue further interests.

[A Lark Ascending]

Concert attendance is not a measure of popularity alone.

I rarely go to classical concerts - I used to when I was getting to hear the repertoire in the 70s and 80s. It generally takes something substantial that I don't know on the programme to get me out there.

But I buy oodles of classical recordings and listen endlessly.

Even with all the troubles the recording industry has been through in the last 20 years there still seems to be no end of classical recordings or historic reissues (and most of it of the same repertoire).

Hardly a sign that classical music needs saving (though contemporary music needs wider promotion and explanation to the non-specialist audience - I'm not sure that's where Asian musicians are directing their attention).

It could do with a makeover and try and lose its 'worthy' image. But that's been tried any number of times, often with rather daft results (amplification, light shows, funny costumes etc).

Edited February 10, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[ejp626]

As far as I know, classical music is alive and well in Europe - look at countries like Finland.

It's here in the US that things (including audiences and funding) are problematic.

Not to get too political, but how much of this can be attributed to state support, both directly to pay for the orchestras and indirectly to keep ticket prices down? I very much enjoy classical music concerts, but it is an elite activity and how much state support can be justified to prop up elite interests? You could say the same thing about theatre and museums. (Classical music and theatre both get vastly more support in Western Europe than in the US.) I would never say eliminate all support, but it is worth taking a step back and asking why it should be that the playing field is unbalanced in terms of state support between elite interests and mass interests. Is there actually something inherently better about these activities, or is it merely taste (and snobbishness) that has become encapsulated into official policy. (Here I am thinking of Bourdieu's Distiction, which is mostly about taste masquerading as something else.)

[A Lark Ascending]

Classical music does get a hugely inflated level of support over here compared to other musical activities for those very reasons. I'm not saying it does not deserve that support (well, I'm not so sure about opera!) - just that proportionally other areas deserve a much fairer distribution of the pot.

But much of this lies in the cultural prejudices of those who make the decisions - in their eyes (ears) classical music is just more worthy than other forms of music.

Edited February 10, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[StarThrower]

can asians save classical music?

The advanced age of audiences at classical music concerts is something that I fortunately don't see at jazz concerts.

I attended a small contemporary chamber music concert a few weeks ago and I was amazed to find 98 percent of the audience to be 70+ years old.

There didn't appear to be anyone under 50 in the audience.