There has been so much negative rubbish written recently about the so-called demise of classical music that it’s time for a riposte. So here are twenty-one reasons why classical music is booming:
1.) Phil Power Phil Power may sound like a fifties pop singer but it is the name of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s hugely successful children’s series. Under their dynamic new maestro, Gerald Schwarz, they have been chosen by Classic FM as their orchestra of the north. There is more ‘Phil Power’ down the road in Manchester where – like most orchestras nowadays – the BBC Phil are involved in massive music education and community projects. Tomorrow, members of the orchestra will join forces with local Chinese musicians in a ‘recruitment day’ for the Chinese community.
2.) Classic FM Seven million cheers for the trail-blazing radio station that was launched ten years ago. Classic’s listening figure is a truly fantastic achievement and – added to Radio 3’s audience – means that nearly ten million people are tuning into a dedicated classical music station every week.
3.) Hyperion Run by the father and son team of Ted and Simon Perry, this record label has won award after award while unearthing amazing music in outstanding performances.
4.) Chandos Another family label. Their partnerships with conductors like Richard Hickox and Yan Pascal Tortelier continually yield stunning results in fascinating repertoire.
5.) Simon Rattle On a roll to Berlin!
6.)Violinists Traditionally we were not supposed to produce solo violinists but, suddenly, they are everywhere! Kennedy is embarking on a ‘Greatest Hits’ tour (please no Hendrix, Nige), Tasmin Little will soon debut with the Berlin Phil and three amazing prodigies have emerged in the last twelve months: BBC TV’s Young Musician of the Year, twelve-year-old Jennifer Pike, Warner Classics’ star, fourteen-year-old Chloë Hanslip – and the wondrous Nicola Benedetti, fifteen-year-old winner of Carlton TV’s ‘Britain’s Brilliant Prodigies’.
7.)The Yehudi Menuhin School Founded by the visionary violinist in 1963, this specialist music school is not – contrary to popular myth – an establishment for rich kids with pushy parents. Under the DoE’s ‘Music and Dance Scheme’ pupils are eligible for grants of up to one hundred percent.
8.) Live Music Now Another pioneering organisation set up by Yehudi Menuhin, LMN now sends young professional musicians into schools, hospitals, prisons and homeless centres giving more than two thousand five hundred performances a year.
9.) Naxos Any label that can put Bax and Moeran into the classical top ten must be doing something right!
10.) Joanna MacGregor The deliciously dread locked pianist has been ballsy enough to start her own SoundCircus label. Her CD, Play), was nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize. It didn’t win – but then the classical entry never does.
11.) Mostly Mozart The Barbican’s new summer fest reported capacity audiences. Sixty per cent were first-timers to the centre.
12.) Meltdown Good news too for the South Bank Centre! Their trendy Meltdown and Rhythm Sticks festivals registered record attendances this summer.
13.) Sanctuary Under the guidance of Chris Craker – who founded the innovative Black Box label – Sanctuary look certain to challenge the recording world’s status quo.
14.) Sporting Classics Since Pavarotti soared his way to the top of the charts with Nessun Dorma the link between classical music and major sporting events has continued apace.
15.) Glitzy Awards With both The Gramophone Awards and “love ‘em or loathe ‘em” Classical Brits now firmly established, we have two high profile classical music awards which, together, are reaching a massive audience
16.) Universal Classics Much maligned for running a mega-business like a mega-business, Universal will still release more than one hundred and thirty classical CD’s and DVD’s in the UK between now and Christmas.
17.) New Generation Artists Since 1999 Radio 3 have selected twelve outstanding new soloists each year, giving them major opportunities including the Proms and recordings for EMI. Look out for bass baritone Jonathan Lemalu.
18.) Evelyn Glennie With more than one hundred and twenty new compositions written especially for her, the prodigious Ms Glennie has single-handedly turned ‘percussion’ into a solo word.
19.) Proms in the Park The BBC’s groundbreaking venture attracts forty thousand – mostly young – people to Hyde Park each summer and plenty more to its regional spin-offs.
20.) John Adams The arrival of the American composer as the BBC Symphony’s ‘Artist in Residence’ is wonderful news. Adams is a contemporary composer who can speak directly to audiences with complete integrity. Try to hear his Violin Concerto.
21.) A Classical Renaissance A few tough years caused by a drastically changing society have brought forth a welter of creativity from the classical fraternity. The greatest music will survive as long as people have ears to hear it and the classical music world are pulling together as never before to bring this message home.
