The Case to Engage Millennials in Classical Music

Abstract

As the largest demographic group in America both now and for the forseeable future, millennials carry great promise for classical music - that is, if classical music organizations can capitalize on the traits that make this generation so distinct. My thesis is that classical music organizations must "retune" programming to reflect millennials in light of significant demographic changes which have occurred during the generational lifetime of baby boomers. To that end, I posit three key recommendations that any classical music organization can incorporate: creating programming that is less time-dependent, building trust and relationships with millennials, and empowering the (numerically) greatest generation.