Greater than three in 4 adults (76%) say they’d be extra more likely to attend an orchestral live performance if orchestras took steps to modernise the live performance expertise, in line with new analysis.

The examine, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), thought-about quite a few potential improvements to the classical live performance expertise, and requested respondents how a lot they wish to see these adjustments. Shorter concert events (endorsed by 27% of respondents), extra matinee performances (24%), conductors chatting with the viewers (20%) and being inspired to maintain telephones on throughout a efficiency (11%) have been among the many different issues that folks folks wish to see at orchestral concert events.

The findings observe a profitable 2023 BBC Proms, wherein ticket gross sales rose above pre-Covid ranges, with 350,000 folks attending a present throughout the eight-week season.

The RPO survey backs up these encouraging statistics, revealing that the variety of folks that say they wish to expertise an orchestral live performance has hit a five-year peak. The place an analogous survey in 2018 revealed that 79% of respondents wish to expertise an orchestral live performance, that determine has now climbed to 84%.

With clear indicators that the orchestral viewers is diversifying to new and youthful audiences, the RPO requested a consultant pattern of two,071 adults which improvements would make them extra more likely to attend an orchestral live performance. The findings revealed that folks’s responses assorted in line with their stage of expertise of classical music.

Total, 91% of longstanding orchestral music fanatics would most prefer to see modernising steps taken, and their high options centred round making the orchestra extra open and accessible. This group was most certainly to wish to see extra daytime or matinee concert events (34%), ‘meet-and-greets’ with soloists or orchestra members (27%) and conductors speaking to the viewers earlier than a efficiency (27%).

Extra like this

Music college students, a youthful cohort of respondents, have been most desirous about permitting audiences to expertise concert events in a extra trendy type and to make use of social media and different know-how.

For instance, music college students have been most certainly to wish to see audiences being inspired to react on social media throughout a live performance (28%). This group additionally wished audiences to be at liberty to take images or movie clips of a live performance with their telephones (21%) – and being inspired to applaud between actions, or each time they wished to (19%).

Elsewhere, these comparatively new to orchestral music have been most desirous about accessing digital programmes forward of concert events (37%), permitting them to learn up and perceive the music higher. Full newcomers, or these contemplating their first orchestral live performance, have been most desirous about a extra informal costume code (37%) and shorter concert events of as much as an hour (31%).

Apparently, some traditions nonetheless stay populat. For instance, solely 6% of respondents mentioned they wish to change the formal costume code for orchestral performers.

Huw Davies, the RPO’s deputy managing director, explains the reasoning behind the survey. ‘As we embark on one other thrilling season of concert events, we wished to take a second to ask audiences in regards to the steps that might be taken to make a live performance expertise extra enticing.

‘From the outcomes there was no black and white response, relatively folks’s responses mirrored the place they have been on their orchestral journey. Individuals new to the style had options that supported their studying; music college students have been keen about digital engagement – themselves younger ambassadors for a brand new era – and extra established audiences wished the orchestras they liked to be extra accessible.

‘On the RPO we’re already making progress in lots of of those areas and these steps type a part of our mission to current orchestral music to the broadest attainable viewers.’

Prime 10 improvements that might make folks extra more likely to attend an orchestral live performance (nationwide common outcomes)

1. Shorter concert events of an hour, relatively than having them in two halves – 27%

2. Getting access to data earlier than the live performance so I can perceive the music a bit of higher – 27%

3. Extra daytime or matinee concert events, so I can take household and mates – 24%

4. Not having to decorate as much as go to a live performance – 24%

5. The conductor chatting with the viewers earlier than a efficiency – 20%

6. Meet and greets with the gamers / soloists after a live performance – 17%

7. Digital programmes I can entry prematurely on my pill or gadget – 12%

8. Being allowed to take images or movie clips of the live performance with my cellphone – 12%

9. Being inspired to applaud between actions, or once I wish to – 12%

10. Being inspired to react on social media through the live performance – 11%