Making classical music accessible without dumbing it down

Instead of playing film scores, should the classical music sector focus on more experiential and experimental works in order to reach new audiences?

Photo credit: Nick Moulton 

‘I feel like we in the classical music world, say “We want a broader audience therefore we’ll do something ‘easier’ – something that’s more accessible,” and by that they usually mean something that you’ve heard before, like music from a film,’ said classically trained double bassist Miranda Hill.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts