A new era for

orchestral music
A report by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2018 edition
A personal view from Some months ago, a leading national newspaper tabled
the notion that “classical music must ditch its name and
James Williams refer instead to orchestral music.” The story followed a
discussion I had with a reporter from the paper. Beneath
Managing Director the double-take reaction to the headline, there was a
substantive truth beneath it that was both a wake-up call
and a cause for celebration for lovers of orchestral music.
When I joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as its
new Managing Director two years ago, I was aware that I
was joining a prestigious global brand, steeped in tradition,
with an international reputation for artistic excellence. But
there was another side to the story as well: the orchestra
was attracting record numbers of young people to its
Royal Albert Hall performances and it was re-connecting
far flung communities to the arts through its education and
community programme. Many of the players in the orchestra
are young and from a diverse range of backgrounds. This
was an orchestra that had a heartbeat closely attuned to
the diversity that implicitly defines modern British society
and culture.

This combination of the old and the new suggested the

RPO, like many other orchestras, was making strides in
positioning itself and the genre it represented as relevant to
modern society. It also prompted us to want to know more
about the public’s terms of engagement with the genre.
Who wanted to discover orchestral music? How did they
choose to listen to music? What role did performances play
in a digitised world of streaming, artificial intelligence and
virtual reality? For a genre where ensembles often impose
an artistic agenda, we felt it was time to listen. This is the
only way to ensure that we have the knowledge and insight
to ensure orchestral music can attract new audiences,
excite people and take them on a lifetime’s journey.

And here the difference between the words ‘classical’

and ‘orchestral’ music becomes important. We believe
as strongly as anyone that defining and exemplary
performances of symphonic masterworks are core to the
future health of the genre. But there needs to be more:
in the digital age, computer games and Apps will play
an increasingly important role in shaping young people’s
relationship with music. To welcome people to the
orchestral genre, we need to celebrate the importance of
film, computer games and musical theatre as signposts
to musical discovery. The future of the genre is orchestral
music in its broadest form, an inclusive approach that
celebrates difference and diversity – yet subtly recognises
that everything is connected.
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In recent months, the RPO performed the World Premiere of the PlayStation
concert at the Royal Albert Hall, an immersive film/music premiere by Eric
Whitacre in partnership with NASA, and achieved three albums in the Official
Album Chart Christmas top 10. We have also recently announced Vasily
Petrenko as the RPO’s incoming Music Director – an appointment that signals
our determination to broaden the audience for orchestral music while enhancing
the RPO’s reputation as one of the world’s great orchestras. The new title of
Music Director is significant; it recognises the artistic leadership that Vasily will
bring to the Orchestra, both on and off the podium and within the communities
it serves, drawing on his passion for music education and widening access to
orchestral music to make it truly inclusive.

More broadly, at a time of economic uncertainty with Brexit on the horizon, the
RPO’s busy international touring schedule ensures the orchestra continues its
role as a cultural ambassador for ‘brand Britain.’ This underlines the important
role the arts can play to the British economy and the valuable diplomatic role in
building relationships with countries and governments. From the concert hall to
international relations, the power of orchestral music to remind people of what
they have in common should never be under-estimated.

These recent RPO activities show how orchestral music needs to be brave and
forward looking in outlook – to be socially, culturally and economically relevant
to the communities in which it operates. Our pursuit of artistic excellence in
performances of core repertoire remains unchanged – but the context in which
orchestral music is presented needs to adapt to the modern age. We need to
be inclusive, we need to listen and we need to be digital.

Our passion in standing by this vision is informed and under-pinned by the

consumer research we have commissioned throughout 2018. We have taken
time to ask questions and listen to people’s responses. The research has told
us that orchestral music is the future – and if we all acknowledge and respond
to peoples’ terms of engagement with the genre in Britain today, there are firm
grounds to assume orchestral music could be poised for a revival - or even a
new Golden Age.

The way we honour the legacy of the great composers is to make the genre
relevant for the modern age; welcoming in its inclusivity, borderless in its diversity,
pioneering in its digitisation - and still setting the highest artistic standards for
immersive, critical performances. The future is bright, the future is orchestral
music.

January 2019

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 Methodology
The insight shared in this report forms part of our national listening exercise: an
opportunity for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to better understand public
sentiment towards – and terms of engagement with - orchestral music. This
national research, coupled with the anecdotal feedback our players get from
meeting thousands of people every year after concerts, helps to guide our
thinking on how we can enrich people’s lives. In the digital age of two-way
communications, we believe the ensemble for the modern age needs to be a
listening orchestra.

Our research was conducted by YouGov, polling a nationally representative

sample of more than 4,000 adults over a six-month period during the spring and
summer of 2018. In some instances, findings were compared to benchmark
research from previous years. In addition, during the final months of 2018
YouGov carried out a children’s survey for us. This involved a representative
sample of more than 850 children aged between 6 and 16 (for younger children,
their parents were also present).

The surveys were carried out online.

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1. The Age of rediscovery
Music is a universal language in Britain today. Across genres, the UK still gives
the world an unprecedented number of top recording artists, best-in-class live
performances – and economically, the contribution of music to the nation’s GDP
is significant. It is perhaps no coincidence that the country that gave the world
The Beatles, Queen and Led Zeppelin closed the 2012 Olympics with a cultural
showcase of Britain that was in its entirety a multi-genre music festival.

In Britain today, people wake up to music, they commute to and from work
listening to music. It is home to the largest orchestral music festival in the world
and some of the most iconic outdoor festivals in popular music. On any given
day there are dozens of club gigs in London alone, a city that is also unrivalled
in the number of symphony orchestras that regard it as their home.

Music is a part of everyone’s lives, but in the age of downloading and streaming,
people’s musical tastes are broadening. Whilst the explosion of genre labelling
in the playlist age has given birth to a host of new sub-genres, our research
suggests people are not feeling limited by these options. In fact, the opposite
is true. Our YouGov research in spring 2018 suggested there was an insatiable
spirit of adventure among British adults, with more than three in five people
(62%) saying they would like to broaden their musical horizons and learn about
music genres that they were unfamiliar with.

Within this, orchestral music proved to be more popular than rock, folk, jazz
and blues. Overall, more than one in five survey respondents (22%) said they
would like to discover more about orchestral music. In comparison, 21% wanted
to discover rock and 17% wanted to learn about jazz. Folk music appealed to
around one in seven people (15%) and 14% mentioned country music.

Music genres that people wanted to discover during 2018

Classical/
Orchestral Rock Jazz Pop Folk

22% 21% 17% 15% 15%

Country R&B Opera Dance Metal

14% 13% 12% 10% 9%

The appeal of orchestral music related to the genre in its broadest form –
film, video and computer game music was valued as much as the timeless
symphonic repertoire of the great composers. The clear implication from this is
the need for orchestras to diversify concert programmes that fully resonate with
what new audiences actually want. From the RPO’s experience, gone are the
days when a firm reliance on core repertoire is enough. Based on our research,
this approach would cater for less than half of the new audience that wants to
learn more about the genre.

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 The importance of modernising to appeal to new audiences was further
underlined when our spring research revealed that it was young people that
were driving a resurgent interest
in orchestral music. Whilst many
associate the traditions of core
repertoire with older listeners, the “Our own award-winning
YouGov data revealed that it was community education programme,
Britain’s under 25 age group that RPO Resound, has seen us deliver
are most likely to say they would more than 390 grassroots sessions
like to learn more about the genre in the last year, inspiring young
(25%) – and this peaked at 31%
people and enriching lives through
among students.
the power of music.”
Kate McBain
This is welcome news but comes at Director of Community & Education
a time of heightened concern over
music lessons being cut from the
school curriculum - and warnings from researchers that the music curriculum
could face ‘extinction’ in secondary schools. In this context, modern orchestras
have an important role to play both in the diversity of concert programming and
education work with communities around the UK.

What is the public’s route into orchestral music?

The research suggested that those people drawn to discovering the genre
were attracted to various forms of orchestral music, stressing the importance
for today’s ensembles to offer as broad a range of programming as possible.

‣‣ Overall, of those looking to discover the orchestral genre, more than two
in five (41%) would be interested in going to a concert of ‘core’ symphonic
repertoire featuring the great composers (e.g. Beethoven).

‣‣ Acitals
greater number of people were drawn to the idea of more intimate solo re-
and chamber works (45%), while one in four respondents (25%) said
they enjoyed the accessibility of popular, themed concerts and recordings
- such as film soundtracks, pop crossover or music from the musicals.

‣‣ For the under 25 age group, those that expressed the strongest inter-
est in discovering more about orchestral music, the appeal of concerts
featuring orchestral treatments of film, West End and pop music was
most pronounced (30%) – and was 50% more popular than listening to
core masterworks (20%)

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“Beyond community engagement,
it is clear from our research that
orchestras need to diversify concert
programmes that fully resonate
with what new audiences actually
want. From Sibelius to the music
of Star Wars, and from Prokofiev
to our PlayStation concert, it is
clear there is a bright future for
our genre so long as orchestras
recognise the need to change with
the times. Classical music for a
modern British orchestra has a
new name – it’s simply called
orchestral music.”
James Williams
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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A nationwide rebirth
Regionally, it was perhaps no surprise that interest in orchestral
music peaked in London (32%), a city that is home to an
extraordinary number of ensembles and has more than half
a dozen internationally recognised concert halls spanning
orchestral and operatic music.

Nevertheless, our research suggested that interest in orchestral

music extended across the UK. In four other major regions – the North
West (20%), West Midlands (22%), East (26%), and South West (25%)
- it topped the list as the music genre that most people wanted to discover.
20%
Perhaps more significant than the overall popularity of orchestral music
across the country at large was the fact that various forms of orchestral
music were specifically most popular in a given region. The diversity of 22%
people’s orchestral music tastes ranged from symphonic rock and 26%
hits from the musicals, to movie soundtracks and core repertoire.
32%
The YouGov study suggests the concerts people are most likely to
choose is often based on where they live.
25%

1. The English Riviera – Home of the great composers Map: Regions where
1 orchestral music topped
London may be the home of many of the UK’s great concert halls, the discovery list
but the south west has overtaken London as a home of traditional
repertoire. The home of the pasty, Poldark and the cream tea is now also the
place where people are most likely to want to see the masterworks of Mozart,
Mahler and Beethoven performed live in concert (49%).

2. For Those About to Rock – Wales salutes you!

Orchestral music was very popular in Wales – overall, 88% said they would
be interested in experiencing a live performance. Top of the list in Wales was
a yearning for anthems – the drama of symphonic rock was the form of live
orchestral concert people in Wales most wanted to experience (31%).

3. Scotland goes big screen

Across the UK, more than one in four adults (27%) identified the connection
between blockbuster films and orchestral music. Film soundtracks were most
popular north of the border, emerging as the form of orchestral music that
people would most like to enjoy in a concert hall (35%).

4. London – the contemporary Capital

London remains a keystone of the arts in Britain, home of many of the world’s
finest ensembles and ground-breaking concert seasons. When it came to
enjoying a live performance, Londoners were those most likely in the UK to opt
for a chamber recital (27%) or contemporary repertoire (26%).

5. The Fens are alive with the Sound of Music

Survey respondents from the East of England were those most likely to go
La-La about hits from the musicals. Perhaps the most modern region in its
orchestral tastes, people from this region were also the most likely to want to
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enjoy concerts that featured pop/ orchestral crossover (29%), TV soundtracks
(34%) and computer game music (16%).

6. North West – keeping it in the family

Orchestral music fans in the North West were those most likely to opt for family
friendly concerts that would appeal to children (20%).

This richness of diversity around the regions underlines why it is so important to

view orchestral music today in its broadest, most inclusive form.

In a year when the UK’s biggest classical music radio station - Classic FM - has
reported a big increase in younger listeners, our research suggests this re-
awakening is more broad-based. In regions across the UK, there is an emphatic
interest to discover orchestral music. For some, this may link to learning an
instrument or wanting to discover the great composers – and, for others, it may
tie in with their interest in film or gaming. There is no longer one starting point,
they are all valid. The task for today’s orchestra is to be responsive, modern,
embrace diversity and to help ensure that for those people that want to discover
the genre it is the start of a life-long journey.

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 2. Becoming part of the everyday
As 2018 drew to a close, the resurgent of interest in orchestral music was
evidenced in the Official Charts Company UK album chart. During the busiest
shopping period of the year, a time when chart positions are most elusive,
three orchestral albums featured in the mainstream Top 10 album chart. These
recordings included the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s album releases of
music from Roy Orbison, The Carpenters and Buddy Holly respectively.

These milestones do not in any way undermine the artistic merit and value of
critical recordings of core symphonic repertoire – but they do underline that, for
millions of people, orchestral music is welcomed and chosen as being part of
the soundtrack to people’s everyday lives. This gives orchestral music a scale
relevance, a cultural legitimacy and a level of mainstream popular endorsement
not seen in the UK for decades.

To understand this in a little more detail, during the summer of 2018 we

commissioned YouGov to conduct a second piece of research that explored
how orchestral music fitted into people’s everyday lives.

Whilst the concert hall remains as the focal point for live performance, many
people are supplementing this with every day engagement with orchestral
repertoire. In the age of mobility - when people are increasingly time-poor,
juggling work-life balance and constantly on the move - Britons said they were
most likely to enjoy orchestral music while travelling. Today’s orchestral music
fans (30%) told YouGov that they were most likely to enjoy the genre through
their headphones on public transport, during a flight or whilst in the car.

Orchestral music also has an important role in the home. Many people said
they enjoyed orchestral music whilst ironing or doing the housework (19%).
The choice of orchestral music as a tonic for domestic chores appeals equally
among the genre’s youngest and oldest audiences - students (24%) and the
retired (30%).

Orchestral music also proved to be popular for those more artistic moments in
the home – 14% of survey respondents said they found it to be the ideal music
to listen to when being creative in the kitchen and 15% said orchestral music
was the perfect backdrop to a great read (14%).

At a time when Britons are reported to endure the longest working week in
Europe, many people said they started and finished their day listening to
orchestral music. Overall, 4% like to wake up and start their day with the genre,
some enjoy orchestral music while relaxing in the bath (8%) - and 9% find it the
perfect way to finish the day and get ready for a good sleep.

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The everyday situations people say they listen to orchestral music

30% 19% 19% 15% 14% 9%

Travelling At a concert Housework Reading Cooking Going to sleep

8% 8% 5% 5% 4% 2%
Working Bathing Gardening Hosting Waking up Lovemaking

The realities of modern living define people’s practical terms of engagement

with music and the arts. In the same way that supermarkets have had to adapt
to dual-income working households who have little time to cook; in the way that
people no longer have time to go into a high street travel agent to book a flight
or a holiday – so with the arts, orchestral music has to adapt to people’s busy
lives. Many that develop an interest in orchestral music will eventually nourish
this by experiencing the drama and spectacle of a live performance. Preceding
this, though, their initial everyday engagement is based on the ability to connect
with the genre as they go about their busy lives – on the school run, commuting
to work, in the gym, or whilst cooking.

The technology revolution is also giving people easy access to the genre.
Streaming platforms such as Spotify or iTunes are changing the way many
people engage with all forms of music and this helps orchestral music in terms
of reach and ease of access. Consistently, three in 10 people said they turned
to orchestral music when they are stuck in traffic to pass the time (30%), as a
stress antidote during long-haul flights (30%) or when commuting on a busy
bus or train (30%).

None of this trivialises orchestral music, it actually underlines how the broader
orchestral genre is returning to the mainstream. When orchestral music
becomes a part of people’s everyday lives – whether this be via the radio, film,
social media or streaming sites – there is a relationship that can be developed.

This is why the Royal Philharmonic invests so heavily in presenting diversified

programming, touring broadly and supporting both with an award-winning
education and community programme. The sum of these parts allows us to
connect with people on their terms and enrich their everyday lives. It results in
more people connecting with the genre. It results in orchestral music returning
to the mainstream album charts. It results in more people then wanting to dig
deeper, go to a concert and discover the genre more fully.

Returning orchestral music to the mainstream and everyday doesn’t trivialise

the timeless masterworks of Mozart, Mahler and Beethoven: it actually ensures
the future of their artistic legacy.

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 3. Tomorrow’s World Today
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s research during the spring and summer
months underlined the scale of broad public re-engagement with orchestral
music – and dispelled the stereotype that it was a legacy genre for older
audiences. The under 25 age group emerged as the people where interest in
discovering orchestral music was growing most emphatically – both among
younger working people and the student population.

With this finding established, during the autumn months we were curious to see
how far back this trend went. So, to conclude the year, we commissioned a third
cycle of research among children aged between 6 and 16. Together with the
previous summer data, the findings helped us to understand where orchestral
music stood with tomorrow’s parents, tomorrow’s workforce and tomorrow’s
concert audiences. The data gave us a glimpse into the future of orchestral
music in tomorrow’s Britain.

The findings from our children’s research were significant, suggesting that
orchestral music could be, for some children, the first musical genre they
experienced. Rather than being a more sophisticated genre that people grow
into with age, the research suggested many started life with orchestral music.
By implication the true challenge was keeping this early interest alive as children
became teenagers, and were drawn into popular culture and an education
environment where music was not seen to be fully encouraged, relative to other
subjects on the curriculum.

Overall, four in five children (80%) under 16 said they had experienced orchestral
music – and 76% from as young six. Furthermore, eight in ten children (81%)
said they thought more could be
done to engage their generation with
orchestral music. “Many in the orchestral world
presume that people get into
Whilst our initial findings showed classical music as they get older.
surprisingly high levels of interest Our research dispels that in an
in orchestral music, the results
instant. In fact, it would appear
also revealed dramatically different
priorities for children aged under 10 that, for many people, their first
and those that were 14 or older. musical experiences in life are
with orchestral music in some
Primary experiences shape or form.”
For children aged between six and Kate McBain
ten there was a dominant hunger Director of Community & Education
to experience orchestral music in
person. This age group were most
likely to say that there needed to be more music lessons at school (43%), with
80% of respondents expressing an interest in learning a musical instrument.
These children were also most likely to say that the experience of playing in
a school orchestra would also drive a broader interest in the orchestral genre
(35%).

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Beyond playing in a school orchestra, children under 10 were also those most
likely to want to experience a performance by a leading ensemble. More than
one in three (34%) said there should be more school trips to see orchestral
concerts. This age group were also most likely to say that conductors and
orchestral players making visits to their school would inspire an interest to
explore the genre further (27%).

For children under 10 years old, an interest in orchestral music was based on
having the opportunity to experience an orchestra perform, or to be part of a
school ensemble.

Teenage influences
From the age of 14, the children’s agenda changes. Whilst 78% of this age
group express a broad interest in the genre, their views on what orchestral
music needs to do to engage young people are markedly different and reflect
the growing influence of popular culture. Overall, 43% of children aged 14 or
over said orchestral music needed to sound more like pop and dance music
to engage young people – a nod towards crossover music and more popular
symphonic repertoire. Further, 27% of respondents said that orchestral music’s
ability to break into the mainstream music charts would also improve the breadth
of the genre’s appeal.

Social media was also an important factor for children aged 14-16. This age
group were more than three times as likely as children under 10 to say that if they
were allowed to use their mobile phones to share images and messages during
a concert then young people would be more likely to engage with orchestral
music. For an age group that has grown up with smartphones, children aged 14
and over would welcome the era when a public announcement before a concert
reminded the audience to turn on their mobile phones.

The digital world beyond the classroom

The findings show film, gaming and online media are replacing the classroom
in nurturing an early interest in the world of orchestral music.

Film has become the biggest single influence for introducing children to
orchestral music (41%), followed by soundtracks to television programmes
(34%). Children as young as six cite film (44%) and television (34%) as
introducing them to the orchestral genre with YouTube also emerging as a
growing influence on children of all ages (16%).

Interestingly, only 29% of children said they had listened to orchestral music at
school. In fact, around a third of children aged 6-15 (32%) said their school did
not encourage them to learn a musical instrument, a feeling that rose (44%) the
closer children got to their GCSEs (ages 14-15). Children that felt their school
did not encourage them to learn a musical instrument were more than twice as
likely to say they had never experienced orchestral music at all (23% Vs. 10%).
Further, they were more than twice as likely to express no interest whatsoever
in discovering any genre of music in their own time (13%, compared to 6% that
said their school encouraged them to learn an instrument).

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 Despite the feeling that schools could do more to nurture children’s interest in
music, the survey suggested that everyday home life encouraged children to
experience orchestral music. One in four children (25%) said they had been
introduced to the genre during a car journey and 17% said they had heard it on
the radio when at home with their parents.

Video games also look set to be a new source of cultural influence for children.
Overall, 15% of children said they had discovered orchestral music as a
soundtrack to a video game they had played. Boys were more than twice as
likely to mention video games as a source for hearing orchestral music (21% Vs.
9% of girls). Further, the influence of games starts early: as young as the age of
seven, around 18% of children say video games introduced them to orchestral
music. At this age, it seems that gaming is more influential than music lessons
(17%) in giving young people a connection to the genre.

Attending live performances from a young age also emerged as integral to

children’s engagement with the orchestral genre. Overall, 15% of children said
they had been introduced to orchestral music when visiting the theatre and 11%
mentioned attending a music concert.

Learning a musical instrument

More than 9 in 10 British children (92%) said they either played or wanted
to learn to play a musical instrument. Whilst the guitar (46%), piano (36%)
and drums/percussion (35%) topped the poll - the ukulele (12%), violin (10%)
recorder (9%), flute (8%) and saxophone (8%) all proved popular as instruments
that children wanted to learn to play. Overall, 75% of children opted for an
orchestral instrument.

At the other end of the scale, the research also threw up the seemingly unlikely
possibility of a future without French horns or double bass players. These
instruments could face extinction in the orchestra of tomorrow, being the musical
instruments that British children today have the least interest in learning.

For a bit of fun, the RPO imagined what the structure of the orchestra of the
future might look like, based on the relative popularity of instruments that children
wanted to learn to play today. Whilst the result suggested an abundance of
ukuleles, percussion, recorders, flutes and violins - there could also be some
noticeable absences, as we wave goodbye to the trombone, double bass, organ
and the French horn.

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“The survey results present a
picture of two extremes. First and
foremost, it is hugely encouraging
news that children as young as six
want to learn a musical instrument
and feel such a natural connection
with orchestral music. The scale of
engagement with the genre at such
a young age is better than anyone
could have reasonably expected
and it proves beyond doubt that
orchestral music has a vital role to
play in modern society.”
Lisa Rodio
RPO Community & Education Project Manager

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“Structure of tomorrow’s orchestra”

PE
RC
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NO

SS
UKELELE
PIA

ION
WO
REC
SS

IN O
BRA

OD
HARP
L

RD
VIO

HARP
WIND
ER
Overall, girls were more likely to play or want to learn an instrument than boys
(95% Vs. 90%) and there was variance by gender in the instruments chosen.
Boys were far more likely to want to learn the guitar (50%), drums (45%) and
bass guitar (28%); whereas girls were more likely to take up the flute (13%),
recorder (13%), the violin (14%) or viola (14%).

Musical instruments that children across the UK currently play or want to learn

National overview 6-10 11-13 14+

of children year olds year olds year olds

Guitar (electric / acoustic) 45% 46% 41% 48%

Piano / keyboard 36% 36% 34% 39%
Drums 35% 36% 37% 32%
Bass guitar 21% 22% 17% 24%
Ukulele 12% 12% 13% 10%
Violin/ viola 10% 12% 6% 11%
Recorder 9% 11% 7% 3%
Saxophone 8% 8% 11% 3%
Flute 8% 9% 8% 4%
Trumpet 7% 8% 4% 7%
Harp 4% 6% 3% 2%
Clarinet/ oboe 3% 2% 5% 3%
Cello 2% 2% 3% 2%
Organ 2% 3% 2% 1%
Trombone 2% 2% 2% 1%
Double bass 1% 1% 1% 1%
French horn 1% 2% - 1%
Another instrument 2% 2% 2% 1%

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The research suggests that a great deal of work still needs to be done to
nurture children’s interest in music during secondary school age. Between
the age of 10 and 14, the proportion of children saying they were no longer
interested in learning a musical instrument quadrupled from 4% to 16% - and
this coincides with school children becoming far more likely to say their school
did not encourage them to take an interest in music (rising from 28% among
6-10 year-olds to 41% of over 14 year olds). As a result, the excitement that
young children (aged 6-10) express in learning an orchestral instrument falls as
they get older. This comes at a time when a study by the University of Sussex
has revealed that the number of schools offering music at A-level has dropped
by more than 15% over the last two years.

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 “The relative speed with which
children’s interest in learning a
musical instrument falls from 96%
to 84% in just four years underlines
the work that needs to be done to
support young musicians and at
a crucial age. Everyone has a role
to play. At the RPO, we delivered
more than 400 educational
engagements in the last year.
Wherever possible, music needs
to stay on the school curriculum
but, more fundamental than that,
teenagers need reassurance that
music matters.”
James Williams
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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Conclusion and further research
Our consumer research study through 2018 is an investment in listening to
orchestral music’s existing and new audiences. At most concerts, our players
meet with concert goers and our research study confirms and adds to anecdotal
feedback we have received from audience members in towns and cities across
the UK.

Put simply, orchestral music has a relevant and valued part to play in enriching
people’s lives. When one removes the traditions and perceived barriers, the
music speaks to people. For some it inspires, for others it offers escapism from
the stresses of modern life. For the vast majority of people that experience it,
orchestral music enriches their lives.

Reviewing the research to date confirms our view that orchestral music is
the modern form of what many refer to as classical music. Orchestral music
reaches more people, it celebrates diversity, it delivers modernity and it
encourages discovery.

The digital age makes access to music easier and democratises the genre. It
puts the consumer fully in control. The only option for any modern orchestra
is to listen to its audiences and respond by delighting and surprising them.
Digitisation does not threaten the traditional concert hall experience; it adds to
it. The ability to attract new audiences to orchestral music through mobile and
digital platforms will result in more people starting an orchestral journey, exploring
the full repertoire and being drawn to the magic of a concert experience.

In the last few years the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has fully embraced
diversity, innovation and modernity. Our programming today spans everything
from symphonic pop to critical performances of symphonic repertoire. Our
community and education programme allows us to lead a culture of inclusivity
to the genre, where people of any background, age and location can experience
orchestral music. There is more to be done but we have redefined our ethos,
values and work truly to stand as a contemporary orchestra for the modern age.
The appointment of Vasily Petrenko as the RPO’s next Music Director, will take
us into our next artistic chapter, strengthening our position as one of the world’s
great orchestras – uniting the best of the old and the new, as we forge a new
and compelling role for orchestral music in modern society.

At the RPO we are committed to taking orchestral music to new audiences,

to inspire those that have experienced the genre to discover it more fully and
deeply. RPO Resound has been at the forefront of delivering orchestral outreach
projects since its inception in 1993, successfully underpinning the RPO’s
extensive programme of UK regional performances and ultimately enhancing
lives through the power of music.

In 2019 we will continue our research and we welcome the involvement of other
organisations that want to support our work and be part of the solution in framing

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a valued, exciting and purposeful role for orchestral music. Change is good
and we have grasped it as an opportunity rather than seeing it as something to
fear. In the modern, fast-paced and connected world where change is the only
certainty, standing still or living in the past is simply not an option.

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About the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra
For more than seven decades the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has
been at the forefront of music-making in the UK. The Orchestra’s regular
performances at its London Residency Cadogan Hall are complemented by
a distinguished series at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, a hugely
popular series at the Royal Albert Hall and frequent visits to its seven principal
residencies across the UK. With a wider reach than any other UK large
ensemble, the RPO has truly become Britain’s national orchestra.

International touring is also vital to the Orchestra’s work, taking it to many

prestigious destinations worldwide. Across its busy schedule, the RPO works
with artists of the highest calibre, including Principal Guest Conductor Pinchas
Zukerman, Principal Associate Conductor Alexander Shelley and Permanent
Associate Conductor, Grzegorz Nowak. The Orchestra has recently announced
the appointment of Vasily Petrenko as Music Director from 2021.
Registered Charity No. 244533

About RPO Resound

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s ground-breaking and award-winning
Community and Education programme – RPO Resound – has been at the
forefront of delivering orchestral outreach projects since its inception in 1993,
successfully underpinning the RPO’s extensive programme of UK regional
performances and ultimately enhancing lives through the power of music.

Fulfilling more than 390 sessions, projects and concerts a year that involve
approximately 7,500 participants, including RPO musicians, RPO Resound
delivers high quality music-making experiences in an array of community
settings – from rehabilitative programmes in prisons to projects with homeless
people. The overarching objective is to leave a lasting legacy by harnessing the
transformative power of music to improve participants’ aspirations, abilities and
life chances.

www.rpo.co.uk royalphilharmonicorchestra @rpoonline

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