In Monday’s (9/22) Tampa Bay Times (Florida), Kurt Loft writes, “When was the last time you listened to a Beethoven symphony, much less paid to hear it performed? That’s what officials with The Florida Orchestra ask themselves as they launch their 58th season … The question is, will young people buy tickets to hear the sounds of past centuries? Just as important, can orchestras keep leaning on the familiar without risking their future? The answer, say industry experts and musicians, is clear … ‘It’s essential that we offer a mix of the old and the new,’ says music director Michael Francis…. No ensemble can survive in today’s arts climate without a commitment to diversity and variety, both generational and in the music itself … But as [familiar music] and other works recede farther into the past, a younger generation can feel disconnected. To counter this, The Florida Orchestra offers [a wide range of music]… Innovation is part of the fabric of many of these concerts, including synchronized videos … The Jacksonville Symphony appeals to the city’s young demographic with an imaginative mix of classical, pop, rock and jazz … The Seattle Symphony follows a similar approach … It’s making a difference across the country, according to an audience diversification study by [TRG Arts and] the League of American Orchestras, a non-profit advocacy group supporting more than 700 ensembles. [Between 2019 and 2023], the proportion of tickets purchased by Millennial buyers surged from 9 to 25%, while those purchased by Gen X rose from 20 to 31%.”
