More than one in two UK adults (55%) say they are interested in exploring orchestral music this winter, as firm evidence emerges to suggest the genre is appealing to a new generation - with 61% of under 25s and 57% of 25-34s saying they would like to discover more about orchestral music.
The new research from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also suggests that broader manifestations of orchestral music - beyond classical repertoire - have a vital role to play to attract new audiences. For 68% of those keen to discover the genre, the appeal of soundtracks, musicals and family concerts were popular ways to start a journey of discovery.
When the RPO study asked orchestral music fans which style or form of orchestral music they liked most, 32% were drawn to the core symphonic repertoire of the great composers, such as Mozart or Beethoven. Three in ten people (30%) said they liked family-friendly concerts that incorporated film scores or soundtracks from the musicals. A further 20% liked what they termed crossover music, where the orchestral world incorporated or collaborated with other genres of popular music. In addition, 9% of respondents said they were interested in exploring contemporary orchestral music.
The diversification of preferences is a symptom of the orchestral genre making progress in appealing to a broader audience. Younger audiences new to the genre were more likely to prefer modern and popular manifestations of orchestral music as entry points, whereas older audiences preferred the well-known masterworks of the great composers.
The style of form of orchestral music people like most by age group (column percentages)
|
18 - 34 |
35 - 54 |
%%+ |
|
|
Core symphonic repertoire |
19% |
31% |
44% |
|
Other forms of orchestral music |
81% |
69% |
56% |
At a time when emphasis has been placed on encouraging greater inclusion and diversity within the arts, the RPO research also suggests the choice of music offered by an ensemble is key to various audience groups feeling more involved - and more attracted to discovering the orchestral world. Low income families, people from ethnic minorities and single parent families were less drawn to traditional symphonic repertoire, with at least three quarters of respondents preferring other forms of orchestral music as entry points to the genre. The research suggests the often-labelled classical music world needs to embrace greater diversity and modernity by presenting orchestral music in its broadest forms, in order to invest in nurturing tomorrow's audience.
The style or form of orchestral music people like most - by audience group
|
National average |
Ethnic minorities |
Single parents |
Low income families |
Unemployed |
|
|
Core symphonic repertoire |
32% |
27% |
22% |
13% |
22% |
|
Other forms of orchestral music |
68% |
73% |
78% |
87% |
78% |
By region, supporters of orchestral music in Yorkshire (40%) and the South East (41%) were most keen on traditional repertoire, whereas people in the North East (79%), Wales (77%) and the East Midlands (75%) were most interested in various other forms of orchestral music.
The style of form of orchestral music people like most - by audience group
|
National average |
North West |
East Midlands |
Wales |
East |
|
|
Core symphonic repertoire |
32% |
34% |
25% |
23% |
30% |
|
family oriented concerts - e.g. orchestral music of film scores, musicals |
68% |
38% |
32% |
47% |
31% |
James Williams, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra comments:
"The appeal of orchestral music has never been stronger, with our latest figures suggesting it is only narrowly trailing mainstream pop music as the most popular music genre in Britain today[1]. This is heartening news for an orchestral world that has won over new audiences during the lockdown era and is evidently having a renaissance with young people. To achieve this, the orchestral world has to adapt and offer a greater number of access points for people new to the genre - and, from this, people can then start a journey of discovery that leads to symphonic repertoire. It's not about computer game music being more popular than Beethoven, it's more a case of how one leads to the other."
"At the RPO we are keen to help new and diverse audiences to begin life-long journeys of discovery with the orchestral world. We have taken steps for our 2022/23 season to keep ticket prices accessible to the broadest possible audience and, musically, we will continue to invest in the broadest programming of any UK symphony orchestra. Our new season showcases symphonic repertoire but the sheer range of work we do through the year is intended to encourage people that have heard our James Bond album or been to a family concert to then take the next step. Our 2022/23 Season focuses on discovery and we aim to enrich people's lives at a challenging economic time."