Last November, Ray Chen played a recital in Toronto’s Koerner Hall. While Chen did not know it at the time, this performance was one of the last of the Old Age of classical music, which focused on overpriced concerts, traditional modes of teaching, armchair criticism, and poorly paid musicians. In totality, these markers resulted in what was perceived as a dying art form. Nonetheless, COVID-19 produced a fundamental paradigm shift in the industry: in-person concerts would not be held, lessons would not be taught, and even private chamber music gatherings were out of the question.
But art cannot truly die; it can only evolve.
The Old Age gave young people a sense of discomfort and disinterest towards the classical scene. Opera houses and concert halls were foreign and gave off an overwhelming sense of stuffiness and elitism. Having played violin myself for over two decades and holding a graduate degree in violin performance from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, I am still given dirty looks in concert halls as a spectator while wearing my beaten-up Vans and jeans.
And then COVID hit.
With the mandatory lockdown, musicians including Chen had to find new approaches within the industry. He started streaming not only his practice sessions, but also his first time playing Minecraft along with other games. The Violin Channel streamed constant at-home concerts – not only the greatest and most famous musicians, but also lesser known artists live from their living room to yours, for free. There was something real and organic about these concerts, in contrast to the hyper-polished, black tie events that had become traditional.
These are not new initiatives within the broader music industry. Live acoustic sessions and home recordings are part of the modern pop musician’s modus operandi, but until now, it never really seemed to transfer over to the classical genre. The old way of doing things that had produced the stars that were Liszt and Paganini is no longer cutting edge or modern. And in 2019, we were left wondering if the entire industry was about to collapse. When did we lose our way? Evidently, when the world is in crisis, it becomes necessary to adapt for survival, and that requires unnecessary weight to be shed in order to stay afloat.
Indeed, new projects such as Vancouver’s Symphony 21, although formed shortly before COVID, offer a new model of orchestral performance where highly trained musicians perform only four concerts annually, each in an intimate setting. Thought is also given to how the experience can remain always fresh and appealing to the millennials that serve both as its audience and as members. For me, as a new law student who still identifies primarily as a musician, it gives me a lot of hope that I can keep my hand in both cookie jars.
For many of us who have spent our lives as musicians, the high price tag of education along with the cost of our instruments make the idea of performing in an orchestra full-time not just unappealing, but an impossibility. For us, music is more religion than passion, and when financial concerns are so ubiquitous, it begins to create a sour taste for the whole affair. New initiatives, such as Symphony 21, and all COVID-produced evolutions offer those of us who want to pursue a career outside of music an opportunity to do both without leaving the fold entirely.
Certainly, we are not yet out of the pandemic’s woods yet, and much remains to be seen as to the direction of society in general. However, in the midst of a crisis, a lot of hope was born for the future of the classical scene. We are moving, and moving with haste, into the New Age of classical music.