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