A new study by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) explored how UK adults choose to enjoy recorded music. Among the under 25 age group, CDs, vinyl and cassettes were more popular than the national average. Reflecting on the data, Vasily Petrenko comments: “The new RPO research findings were interesting, especially in relation to the music preferences of younger people. There are signs that CDs and vinyl are making a comeback with young people, and this could be because people today have too much information that is instantly available. The playlists and sheer volume of recordings you can get at the touch of a button can become so overwhelmingly large that you cannot even navigate it. If you have a physical copy of an album, it stands somewhere on the shelf and then it’s quite easy to find. For many people, a music collection is a reflection of personal choice and their personalised journeys of music discovery and, like books, the collection has meaning, a purpose and also nostalgia. It can foster a closer connection and sense of value with the music people like.
“I think many people can feel the relevance of classical music nowadays, because it’s timeless music. It touches the strings of your soul, which resonates not only with the situation of the world, but with your personal thoughts, your emotions, your way of life – and it can improve it. I think so many people are coming to classical music because they feel it is very valuable for them and, in the history of humanity, the harder the times in the world globally, the more interest there is for classical music.”
