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Petroc Trelawny looks at the new global enthusiasm for western classical music. Is it genuine or a short cut to national esteem?

Global Classical Music: A New World Symphony

Global Classical Music: The Future: Global Classical Orchestras

28/02/2015

The Future: Global Classical Orchestras

BBC World Service - Global Classical Music, The Future: Global Classical Orchestras

The impact of classical music education on the enthusiasm for Western classical music

The rise in global enthusiasm for western classical music - is it genuine or a short cut to national esteem?

From the much heralded success of El Sistema in South America to the overwhelming numbers of Chinese instrumentalists and the new projects in India and the Middle East, everyone agrees that the sustained growth of Classical music around the world depends on education. In the final programme of the series looking at the new Classical music world order Petroc Trelawny explores the different approaches to music and finds that one size does not fit all.

He talks to Chinese teachers and performers about the technical brilliance being achieved by the desire to develop a sense of ensemble and performance. He visits new schools in India, where the systems and notations of classical music are being harnessed to work alongside the powerful Indian musical traditions and the industrial production requirements of Bollywood. He assesses the lasting impact of Venezuela's El Sistema and its impact elsewhere in South America.

Thus far the very highest levels of musical ambition still require students to head back to the heartland of the Western Classical tradition. Academies and Conservatoires in Britain, America, Germany and Russia are luring ambitious musicians from across the globe. A significant change in recent years is the number who then return home to share the skills they have developed and to encourage a new self-confidence and maturity. 

But, as Petroc discovers, there is another more pressing concern for those passionate about Classical music and that is the less straightforward education of audiences.

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