Classical music appears to be having a resurgence in London. With the opening of new venues and the buzz around Rosalía’s classically influenced album, musicians hope to change perceptions of a traditionally inaccessible genre.
Out with the old, in with the old? Young composers are seeing a classical music renaissance in London, which they hope will open up the traditionally inaccessible artform.
Cameron Graham, a member of the London Symphony Orchestra’s young composer mentorship scheme Soundhub, says that the classical music scene in London is now thriving following a severe decline during the pandemic.
The reopening of Iklectik, an iconic experimental venue in Peckham, along with ongoing events by the London Contemporary Music Festival, provide a home for musicians who don’t feel they fit the classical mould.
Classical fever has taken the internet by storm this week following the release of global popstar Rosalía’s fourth studio album LUX. The album has reached number four in the UK charts, and much of it was recorded here in the city with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Cameron Graham is a percussionist and composer. Image supplied by Cameron Graham.
But Graham told City News he has a complicated relationship with the genre as he believes standard classical music teaching is still based on a group of white male composers.
Conductor and professor Dwight Pile-Gray agrees with the suggestion that classical music is inaccessible, particularly for ethnic minorities, women and disabled people.
He told City News “There is a perception that classical music sits at the top of the musical period. It’s very elite, there’s something mystical [and] magical about it”.
He went on to add “It’s music…written by old white men, performed by white men and it’s kept by white men”.
Dwight Pile-Gray is a performer, composer and academic. Image supplied by Dwight Pile-Gray.
The 2020/21 Equality and Diversity in Concert Halls report found that only 8% of the LSO’s compositions between Sep 2020 – July 2021 were written by women, and only 4% by black and Asian composers.
Other venues providing a home for less traditional classical performers include Café Oto in Dalston, and Resonance FM is a community radio station platforming both new and established artists.
Graham hopes that these resources will help young people in London to engage with classical music in a different way.
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HeadlineForget Brat Summer, Say Hello to Classical Winter
Short HeadlineGoodbye Brat Summer, Hello Classical Winter
StandfirstClassical music appears to be having a resurgence in London. With the opening of new venues and the buzz around Rosalía’s classically influenced album, musicians hope to change perceptions of a traditionally inaccessible genre.
Out with the old, in with the old? Young composers are seeing a classical music renaissance in London, which they hope will open up the traditionally inaccessible artform.
Cameron Graham, a member of the London Symphony Orchestra’s young composer mentorship scheme Soundhub, says that the classical music scene in London is now thriving following a severe decline during the pandemic.
The reopening of Iklectik, an iconic experimental venue in Peckham, along with ongoing events by the London Contemporary Music Festival, provide a home for musicians who don’t feel they fit the classical mould.
Classical fever has taken the internet by storm this week following the release of global popstar Rosalía’s fourth studio album LUX. The album has reached number four in the UK charts, and much of it was recorded here in the city with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Cameron Graham is a percussionist and composer. Image supplied by Cameron Graham.
But Graham told City News he has a complicated relationship with the genre as he believes standard classical music teaching is still based on a group of white male composers.
Conductor and professor Dwight Pile-Gray agrees with the suggestion that classical music is inaccessible, particularly for ethnic minorities, women and disabled people.
He told City News “There is a perception that classical music sits at the top of the musical period. It’s very elite, there’s something mystical [and] magical about it”.
He went on to add “It’s music…written by old white men, performed by white men and it’s kept by white men”.
Dwight Pile-Gray is a performer, composer and academic. Image supplied by Dwight Pile-Gray.
The 2020/21 Equality and Diversity in Concert Halls report found that only 8% of the LSO’s compositions between Sep 2020 – July 2021 were written by women, and only 4% by black and Asian composers.
Other venues providing a home for less traditional classical performers include Café Oto in Dalston, and Resonance FM is a community radio station platforming both new and established artists.
Graham hopes that these resources will help young people in London to engage with classical music in a different way.
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