By Beth Giudicessi

This March, a panel of leading voices in classical music came together at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) to ask—and answer—daring questions about the future of the industry.

“The classical music world, by its very nature, has always struggled with maintaining its core audience and developing the new one,” said President of Classical KDFC and Vice President of Marketing and Sponsorships for Classical California Bill Lueth, who moderated the discussion. “What do we do to bridge that gap?”

The event, titled “Can Classical Music End its Love Affair with Crisis? A Conversation about Inventing the Future of Music,” featured CEO of Askonas Holt and Opus 3 Artists Donagh Collins, KDFC/KUSC Resident Artist and Host Lara Downes, Pentatone Managing Director Sean Hickey, and SFCM President David Stull.

Collins, Hickey, and Stull head SFCM’s newly formed alliance that unites two of the world’s most prominent artist management companies with a legendary record label and premier conservatory.  

Downes will release her first album on the Pentatone label, Love at Last, this April. She and Lueth both broadcast out of SFCM’s Bowes Center, which is home to the Classical KDFC radio station.

In front of a live audience, they ignited dialogue about some of the most important topics facing musicians and listeners: the definition of “classical music,” how it can unite communities, the business of creating and distributing art, and steps to move beyond a culture of crisis into one that pursues original, inclusive models that sustain and advance the power of music for future generations.

Watch their full conversation below. 

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