The proportion of UK adults who enjoy exploring classical music at home has hit a six-year peak, according to new figures from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), pictured above performing at Cadogan Hall.
Arts Professional magazine reports that national RPO tracking research conducted in August revealed that 85% of UK adults are pursuing activities at home to develop their knowledge of, and interest in, classical music- that’s up from 73% last July.
The study indicates a significant rise in the percentage of adults who are interested in building a collection of recorded orchestral music.
This has grown from 26% last July to 38% this year. Orchestral fans from Yorkshire and Humberside were most likely to enjoy recorded orchestral music at home (48%), followed by London (41%) and the North East (42%)
Vasily Petrenko, music director at RPO said she is very encouraged to see more people interested in discovering classical music: ‘For many people new to orchestral music, the magic of the live concert experience is usually the moment that converts curiosity into interest, but recorded music has always played an important role in getting people to the concert hall in the first place’.
Meanwhile, for those new to the genre but keen to experience orchestral music for the first time, 42% said they would start their journey by listening to classical recordings, rather than attending a concert hall.