What’s going on in the classical music field — and what shape it could take in the future — is a common topic around Slover Linett. But a recent visit from classical music guru Greg Sandow inspired lots more talk than usual, and we’re eager to keep those discussions going (see invitation at end of post).

We were lucky enough to welcome Greg Sandow to Chicago recently for a talk he gave on the “Rebirth of Classical Music” at the Chicago Cultural Center (co-hosted by Slover Linett, the University of Chicago’s Cultural Policy Center, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs). It was a really active, thoughtful discussion, spurred by Greg’s remarkable expertise in the field and kept lively by questions and comments from the audience of classical music professionals. In fact, most of us had no interest in stopping the discussion after the allotted 90 minutes, which gave me an idea that I’ll pose at the end of the post.

But first, I’d like to share a couple of the thoughts and questions that have been tumbling around my brain since the talk. This is in no way an attempt to summarize Greg’s own points.  (Check out this article from the Trib for an overview of his thinking.) These are just some of the issues and curiosities that I’m eager to keep thinking about and debating.

I found it refreshing that the perspectives and references Greg brought to the discussion weren’t limited to the insular world of classical music. In fact, he emphasized that if classical music poses itself as the antithesis of pop/“low” culture, it will only ensure its demise. Instead, what classical music needs to do is reclaim its relevance and learn from the diverse ways that people are engaging with art, cultural expression, social issues, etc. — including mass-culture sources like Project Runway, Radiohead, and The Wire.

(A quick aside: I’m a huge fan of all three of those things, but they’re among the most mainstream of the mass-culture phenomena that “high-culture” people tend to think are acceptable to reference.  There’s a whole lot more innovation and newness out there that we can learn from.) ...