Underground music channel Boiler Room is feeding a hunger amongst young people for collaborations that combine popular and classical music.
Young music fans more used to listening to pop are instead tuning into Henry Purcell, as classical music gains a foothold in Britain's youth culture.
One of the UK's leading underground music channels, Boiler Room, is starting a series of classical shows, beginning this week in Manchester with a collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra. Also, the BBC announced an initiative last week, aimed at primary schools in the UK, that hopes to inspire a generation of children about the joys of classical music.
Boiler Room started in 2010 in the decaying utility room of a pigeon-infested warehouse in east London when underground DJs and live acts were invited to perform for a small crowd and an online audience via a webcam taped to the wall. Back then, nobody imagined the music channel would one day be teaming up with a full orchestra and Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist in Radiohead, to host a series of classical music events in concert halls across the country. "For many young people, classical music has always been class-related and hard to access, in the same way that everyone goes to the cinema, but not many go to the theatre," said Radio 1 & 1Xtra DJ and tastemaker Benji B (real name Benjamin Benstead), who is introducing his listeners to the likes of Claude Debussy, John Cage and Steve Reich. "Classical music is seen as impenetrable and there's a snobbery related to it but at last that's changing and it seems to be incredibly popular... Keep reading on The Observer
Young music fans more used to listening to pop are instead tuning into Henry Purcell, as classical music gains a foothold in Britain's youth culture.
One of the UK's leading underground music channels, Boiler Room, is starting a series of classical shows, beginning this week in Manchester with a collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra. Also, the BBC announced an initiative last week, aimed at primary schools in the UK, that hopes to inspire a generation of children about the joys of classical music.
Boiler Room started in 2010 in the decaying utility room of a pigeon-infested warehouse in east London when underground DJs and live acts were invited to perform for a small crowd and an online audience via a webcam taped to the wall. Back then, nobody imagined the music channel would one day be teaming up with a full orchestra and Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist in Radiohead, to host a series of classical music events in concert halls across the country. "For many young people, classical music has always been class-related and hard to access, in the same way that everyone goes to the cinema, but not many go to the theatre," said Radio 1 & 1Xtra DJ and tastemaker Benji B (real name Benjamin Benstead), who is introducing his listeners to the likes of Claude Debussy, John Cage and Steve Reich. "Classical music is seen as impenetrable and there's a snobbery related to it but at last that's changing and it seems to be incredibly popular... Keep reading on The Observer