Abstract
A recent decline in audiences for classical music has been documented. Research suggests that limited inclusion and participation in a performance may be a reason for lack of attendance by younger adults. However, there is little knowledge about how classical musicians view their audience, and how willing they are to interact formally or informally with their audience in the ways that research has indicated as motivating for contemporary audiences. The present paper provides an overview of an opportunity sample of young British classical musicians’ perception of their own audience and their willingness to interact with their audiences formally and informally. 52 professional London-based classical orchestral players and singers ( (age) = 28), all contracted to contribute to a performance of Haydn’s Creation, responded to an online questionnaire, e.g. asking about the contributions an audience made to their recent positive concert experiences, as well as their general attitudes towards recruiting and interacting with audiences. Use of promotional and communication channels (including social media) was also explored. Participants generally saw audience recruitment as primarily the job of the concert promoter and tended to prioritise word of mouth in any personal recruitment undertaken. Two contrasting concepts are manifest in this sample. Some musicians prefer a distant relationship, while others are focused on a positive experience for audiences. But both these groups are unlikely to aim to plan pro-actively to reach out to their audiences. A minority of participants agreed that it is important to know something about the audience before a performance. Those musicians are more likely to engage with audiences in both formal and informal ways. On the basis of this survey, we may conclude that only a small number of musicians are fully conscious of their active role in securing and relating to an audience.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 478-485 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Event | Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music - Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom Duration: 17 Aug 2015 → 22 Aug 2015 Conference number: 9 |
Conference
Conference | Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music |
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Abbreviated title | ESCOM |
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Manchester |
Period | 17/08/15 → 22/08/15 |