CLASSICAL MUSIC FUTURES: Practices of Innovation

Does classical music have a future? In fact it has many, in a manner similar to all art forms, technological enterprises and institutions. One future sees it slowly dwindle as its grey audience shuffles off this mortal coil one by one; another places its faith in the institutions of the concert hall, festival and orchestra to fight against the degradations of time; yet another projects the diversification and democratisation of the art form so that it takes a meaningful place in the lives of a greater portion of society. What these three visions have in common is that the future presupposes a significant challenge: the future is coming for classical music and it had best be prepared.