A reader sent me a link to “Bridging the Gap: Innovations to Save Our Orchestras,” a study by the Knight Foundation that preaches the virtues of “nontraditional and enhanced concert experiences” that “seek to reach new and younger audiences by integrating programmatic themes, other art forms and other modes of communication to present classical music in alternative formats.” You can–and should–read the whole thing here.
I’m interested in the attempts of various regional orchestras mentioned in the study to find new ways to attract younger listeners–and even more interested in the data showing that these techniques seem to be working. At the same time, I also noted with a different sort of interest these observations:
To date, there is mixed evidence about whether these concerts would lead their ticket buyers to more standard orchestral fare, including classics or pops concerts….The findings are consistent with evidence from the Audience Insight study, which suggest that “increasing attendance–or at least staving off a decline in attendance–may require a loosening of the definitional boundaries around