Grassroots Audience Development

community engagement  is critical for symphony orchestra sustainability.

Audience Development encompass the techniques and mechanisms that a performing arts organization uses to attract audience members.

I have lately been involved in an underground mission: stealth symphony audience development. Starting small – with my cadre of violin students – I am working to achieve the lofty goal of greater exposure to classical music throughout the community of Eugene, Oregon……. and beyond.

On May 20th, I was seen corralling a group of students of all ages as in the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, the main concert venue in Eugene and the home of the Eugene Symphony.   The concert hall will now be a memorable place for these students, rather than a foreign home to the elusive symphony orchestra.  One student described the experience as “transcending emotional experience”.

Last night, I took another group of students to the Eugene Youth Symphony concert.  Accessible for “young ears”, the concert consisted of the overture to the Barber of Seville, Bizet’s Carmen Suite, and Symphony Espagnole for Violin by Lalo.  There was also a new work by Steven Stucky,  Son et lumiere which challenged both the orchestra and the audience.

These concerts were an opportunity for my students to see orchestras in action and also become familiar with the concert experience.  Education and community engagement are integral for symphony orchestras to maintain relevance to future audiences.

Operating as an initiator, I am working to bringing new audiences to concerts which is a main goal of symphony orchestra marketers.   Says Joanne Shceff Bernstein:

” Initiators constitute 18 percent of culturally active adults (people who attended any arts events in the past year)  are the kind of person who likes to organize outings to cultural events for friends”.  (Arts Marketing Insights, p. 60).

Audience development seeks to provide appealfor frequent ticket buyers while simultaneouslyreaching new attendees. Within the current economic climate, audience development has become more complicated among shifts in community demographics as well as increased competition for organizational funding.

While enjoying a fine performance by the Eugene Youth Symphony, I was a reinvigorated with optimism for the future of symphonies.  Orchestra music is relevant and will continue to touch audiences while new symphony musicians remain on the horizon.   Stealth audience development = success.

Providing student discounts, group rates, and rush tickets are ways that an organization can reach new audiences and start building a relationship with them.  This can lead to future subscribers and donors.

My stealth audience development familiarizes an interested audience with orchestra concerts while the students are also learning to play an instrument.  The majority of symphony orchestra audiences have experience playing a musical instrument or another personal connection to orchestra music.

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