Survey captures parents’ views on boosting youth interest in orchestral music

Research by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has revealed how parents feel more could be done to interest young people in orchestral music.

A survey of parents with children aged between 6 and 15 was carried out in September 2023 for the second consecutive year. Of the respondents, 83% felt something could be done to boost children’s engagement, rising from 79% last September.

The most popular suggestions for ‘how’ related to access to music in schools, with 37% of this year’s respondents saying there could more opportunities to play in orchestras (up from 21%) and the same proportion suggesting more music lessons (up from 29%). In terms of enrichment, 36% felt there could be more school trips to orchestral concerts (up from 21%), while 23% recommended more in-school visits from professional players and conductors (up from 17%).

Digital engagement played an important role for many, with around a quarter feeling there could be more classical content on social media (27%, up from 17%). In addition, 15% believed that prohibiting the use of phones in concerts created a potential barrier, with young people more likely to engage if they could take pictures or share messages with friends.

Around a third felt that the musical content was important, with 34% saying that their children would respond better to orchestras performing non-classical repertoire, such as pop or dance music. Respondents also said that young people were more likely to engage if classical music was in the UK Top 40 (34%), more celebrities attended concerts (19%), and orchestral musicians didn't wear uniforms (9%).

Huw Davies, Deputy Managing Director at the RPO, said: ‘Our research consistently finds that young people are among the most likely to be interested in exploring new genres and switched on when it comes to engaging with the orchestral genre. Just how important this positivity and enthusiasm is cannot be understated, not just in producing the next generation of musicians and audiences ... the future of orchestral music – from musicians to audiences and everything in between – depends on the next generation.’

The survey was conducted by Sego Research among a nat rep sample of 818 parents of children aged 6-15 in September 2023, and among a nat rep sample of 802 parents of children aged 6-15 in September 2022. Both surveys were conducted online.