Toronto’s Classical Music Groups Are Taking New Approaches—and Drawing New Audiences

In Saturday’s (3/16) Toronto Star, Joshua Chong writes, “Key organizations in the [music] sector are striking out on new paths in a bid to energize audiences and solidify their cultural relevancy. Arts leaders who’ve shepherded their organizations into the 21st century … are now ceding control to fresh faces. And young upstarts are shaking up the scene by challenging and redefining preconceived notions of what classical music is and how it can be presented…. [Royal Conservatory of Music President Peter Simon] says, ‘Our objective is to make music in everybody’s life, a society where every person feels empowered to make music and to participate in music.’… Despite audience attendance down between 10 to 15 per cent in the months following the pandemic shutdown, ticket sales from the RCM’s concert programming have returned to pre-pandemic levels…. At the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, its CEO Mark Williams acknowledged that the orchestra has yet to find its footing since the pandemic shutdown … [Still,] in its 2022-23 season, the organization recorded a 3.5 per cent increase in total ticket sales compared to the 2018-19 season…. Williams stressed that for the TSO to be successful, it must be willing to adapt and especially focus on attracting younger audiences.”