Q: Benjamin, you seem hell-bent on attracting new classical audiences.

A: Somebody better do it! Somebody better get young people interested. And I am a young person, and it’s a frustration to me that most of my friends who are not musicians are really unaware of all the incredible treasures in the world of classical music. I mean Bach. I mean Mahler. I mean Greenwood.

I’m really all for getting younger people into the concert hall. (And I still puzzle over how so many of my young oboe students have never attended a live concert!) But I do want to mention that young people eventually get older and I actually believe that many older folks didn’t attend concerts when they were younger. From what I’ve heard, they didn’t have the time, didn’t have the money, or didn’t care for the music. Tastes change as people age.

I’m planning on building my Lawrence Welk library now that I’m in the “over 50” crowd.

Just kidding! 😉

But in any case, if I’m not worried and should be, I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.

I read the quote here.