Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

In the United States, symphony orchestras have faced an aging audience for decades, causing a nation-wide panic related to their future existence. It seems as though their aging audience is due to two reasons: (1) how the music is presented and (2) a lack of cultural relevance. This combination results in an audience that is predominantly White, upper class, and middle aged for many symphony orchestras across the United States. This predominance among audience members lack diversity and does not represent the communities in which orchestras reside. Furthermore, this lack of diversity and representation further creates a disconnect between symphony orchestras and their communities, causing barriers for people to attend. These barriers result in many people feeling that they do not belong at a symphony orchestra concert. Recently, this disconnect has intensified due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many in the orchestra field are only just realizing how White and elite the field really is, with many still oblivious to the organizations’ traditionalist methods. This paper considers these barriers as they apply to symphony orchestras in the United States and what opportunities they may have to close the gap between them and their communities.