| For too long, classical music has been | | | | phenomenal mainstream success was not |
| regarded as the domain of | | | | typical, the fact that she was such a |
| instrumentalists, composers, academic | | | | young musician in the classical industry |
| musicologists and, typically, anyone | | | | was. |
| over 40 years old. But while the | | | | In the twenty-first century, the likes |
| majority of today's youth would rather | | | | of Katherine Jenkins and "male soprano" |
| listen to Britney Spears' greatest hits | | | | Michael Maniaci, 28 and 29 years of age |
| or watch My Chemical Romance on MTV, the | | | | respectively, are making headlines the |
| view that young people are completely | | | | world over for their innovative approach |
| uninterested in classical music is not | | | | to classical music and their stunning |
| just erroneous - it's simply not | | | | vocal range. Edward Gardner, the new |
| grounded in historical reality. | | | | Music Director of Glyndebourne on Tour |
| Mozart, widely regarded as one of the | | | | (one of the UK's premier operatic |
| greatest classical composers of all | | | | fixtures), is also only 28, proving that |
| time, wrote his first symphony at age | | | | there is certainly no dearth of young |
| eight and was dead by the age of 35. | | | | people performing classical music, |
| Schubert also died when he was 31, while | | | | although there may be fewer youths than |
| Chopin famously didn't live past the age | | | | OAPs listening to it. |
| of 39. Moreover, the phenomenon of the | | | | But as classical music institutions and |
| castrato in classical music in the 1700s | | | | performing arts organisations try their |
| shows that young people haven't just | | | | best to reduce their median audience |
| been interested in classical music | | | | age, classical music isn't just becoming |
| throughout the years - they've | | | | more accessible to young people - it's |
| practically been canonised as part of a | | | | also becoming more affordable. Scottish |
| classical music tradition that, although | | | | Opera, for instance, offer special |
| lost, is not forgotten. | | | | ticket deals for people under 26, while |
| Today's orchestras, choirs and opera | | | | many music-specialist booksellers are |
| houses are packed with young singers and | | | | making classical music books and guides |
| musicians, many of whom are still in | | | | that will help younger classical |
| their twenties. Moreover, almost all | | | | listeners learn more about the craft. So |
| modern, successful classical musicians | | | | while many may lament the loss or |
| will have undergone training from a very | | | | decline of youth interest in classical |
| young age. Charlotte Church may have | | | | music in today's world, they need only |
| made headlines when she released her | | | | look towards the country's concert halls |
| debut album "Voice of an Angel" in 1998 | | | | to see where the future lies. |
| aged just thirteen, but while her | | | | |