Is Classical Music in Crisis?
Taught by Kristy Barbacane
Kristy Barbacane received her Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from Columbia University and has taught at Barnard College and Fordham and Columbia Universities. Her research interests include nineteenth-century France, music in Algeria and its diaspora, and the relationship between colonialism and music. Kristy spends her spare time playing flute, running in Central Park, and searching for the best patisserie in the city.
The status and fate of classical music in America has long been and continues to be strongly debated. Critics question the profitability of classical music and ensembles, pointing to a decline in album sales and the closing of opera companies and orchestra bankruptcies. Supporters, however, tout the thriving new music scene and retort that classical music sales have merely steadied instead of declined. Is classical music in America truly in crisis or is this a resurfacing myth continuously circulating throughout the media? Is classical music a sustainable enterprise or should it succumb to the larger market of popular music genres?
This class will explore the recent history and current state of classical music in America and discuss why the debate over classical music in the US is so persistent. We will pay specific attention to the new music scene in New York and showcase ways musicians are rejuvenating classical music, featuring a live performance from Alessio Olivieri and Nick Pauly. We will also discuss ways to take advantage of contemporary music performances throughout the city.
