Lockdown is prompting engagement with classical music, research finds

Research conducted in late March for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) among over 2,000 adults found that six out of seven British households with extra time on their hands were planning to broaden their musical horizons, with a third of these saying they want to discover more classical music. One in five of the under-35s and over a third of over 65s in isolation said they wanted to learn more about the genre.

Since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, the RPO has seen a three-fold increase in its website traffic and a seven-fold increase in engagement on its social media channels. Its online activities are being presented through a new programme, RPO at Home, which includes its first streamed performance, videos of players in their own homes, an RPO at Home YouTube playlist and a card game through which audiences can get to know the RPO’s musicians better. 

RPO Managing Director James Williams commented: “Music is often seen as a good tonic to cope with stress and uncertainty… it will continue to surprise and delight for far longer than the time we will be in isolation."