London’s Southbank Centre in the UK are planning the biggest classical music programme to draw young people to classical concerts. One-hour orchestral performances on Sunday afternoons will offer bite-size tastings of classical fare, drinks will be allowed into more informal events and audiences will be brought closer to musicians by a walk-through video installation simulating on stage with a “virtual” Philharmonia Orchestra. Southbank and its resident orchestras have announced projects, along with some world’s foremost classical musicians, for its 2011/12 season in the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and other areas. Classical concerts primarily attract older audiences and they want to reach out to new audiences. It has an image that is too rigid. The orchestra has also launched Philharmonia Digital, a new company to expand its digital projects. Richard Slaney, its head, said: “it’s a way of exciting [young people] about classical music”. The Southbank is planning visits of other orchestras like Bruckner’s Symphony No 5, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. While the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will analyse pieces of music to make them more accessible ahead of their performance, the Philharmonia Orchestra will perform its latest digital project, an “immersive” multimedia performance Holst’s The Planets.
My reaction:
I think it is a good thing to introduce classical music to young people, mostly they have already a strong opinion about classical music and therefore they do not visit concerts. It is also nice to see such huge orchestras work together and make it possible to entertain young people with their music. I personally am not really fond of classical music but if this project comes to the Netherlands I think it would be interesting to visit these concerts with their musicians and the sphere that, I think, belongs with classical music to get a good impression about classical music
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