Celebrating 30 years of bringing sublime orchestral performances to the Corn Exchange, Cambridge’s classical concerts series has returned. The timing is perfect, since by all accounts classical music is enjoying a surge in popularity – especially among younger listeners. Earlier this year, streaming giant Deezer reported a 270% rise in the number of subscribers to its most popular classical music playlist, with 43% of those new listeners falling into the ‘millennial’ age bracket.
To encourage local younger people with an interest in classical music to come along to a Boldfield Orchestral Series concert, a special concert ticket price of £5 is available for students and people aged under 26.
Among the shows they can seek out, the Philharmonia Orchestra visits on 1 November for a performance that includes the sweeping, eerie beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, and Sibelius’ Finnish folktales with Lemminkäinen’s Return. On 30 November, meanwhile, legendary conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy returns to the Corn Exchange with a programme of pieces by Grieg and Brahms.
Zhang Zuo Photo: Marco Borggreve
The series continues in the new year, with a visit from saxophonist Jess Gillam, a young performer generating a buzz for putting her instrument back in the classical spotlight. She brings an eclectic programme of Marcello, Glazunov, Mozart and Haydn to the venue on the 31 January.
On 7 Feb, the series celebrates its anniversary with a gala concert featuring Nicola Benedetti alongside the acclaimed City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performing a spectacular programme of Bartók and Berlioz. Running through until 24 May 2020, there are plenty more musical treats in store on the programme, from Beethoven to Brahms – visit the Cambridge Live website for the full line-up and booking details.
