Mitra Muijen
How to solve the problem of declining audiences
A response to Rebecca Huber’s lecture
One of the great problems classical musicians face today is that of declining audiences. While many have proposed possible solutions — from shortening concerts to merging multiple art forms together — none seem to truly make a difference.
Rebecca Huber views the decline itself as a mere symptom. The underlying issue, she argues, is the manner in which classical concerts are organized and experienced today. They are long and scripted, with very little variation (after all, they must be guided by a theme or concept) and, worse still, the audience is expected to behave and dress a certain way. Clapping in between movements is a definite no-go and listening takes place in complete silence.
Huber finds it unsurprising that a lot of people are put off by such a protocol-like way of concert-going. She prefers the earlier 19th century trend of miscellany in programming: variety in music, combined with a more relaxed audience experience that involves clapping, eating and talking. This, in her view, should be our way forward.
I generally agree with Huber’s diagnosis. I too believe that the problem is largely attributable to an overly snobbish approach to classical music. What I object to, though, is her proposed treatment. The idea (i.e., looking at what worked in the past, in order to apply it to the present) is sensible enough. Yet it fails to consider the fact that the public today is very different from what it used to be. We’ve got phones, social media and AI now. And it seems that we have lost our bourgeois edges.
My proposition is to be inspired not by what the people liked a couple centuries ago, but by what they like right now. After all, multi-day festivals and large scale pop concerts seem to have no problem drawing in the crowds. Something about their light and smoke shows, and their idolized lead singer just works!
Yes, we play early music. But our audiences have evolved. And we should adapt.
