Classical Crossover Essay

Introduction The world is changing and so is the style of music. Often people who do not have any musical background might think that classical music is boring and only for more mature audiences. In fact, the sales of traditional Western classical music albums are decreasing and many symphony orchestras and operas are struggling to find endowments and audiences. It is considered that classical music today occupies a position similar to that of religion, as a form of art rather than entertainment or just a background noise (Johnson, 2002). Unlike popular music, classical music may be more sophisticated and complex in its form. Because of this, how can classical music be heard more easily in order for audiences who are more used to popular music, understand and appreciate its

There is a modern music genre called “Classical Crossover,” which is a hybrid of both classical and popular music. Classical crossover can be defined in many ways: when a classical musician decides to explore in something more popular, or popular musicians decide to get serious and collaborate with classical elements. According to the website Classical-Crossover, Classical Crossover is defined as “a term used to describe artists that adopt strong classical influences in their music, but ultimately they have an accessible and popular sound or a marketable image to reach out to a wider audience.” They give seven examples of musical conventions of the Classical Crossover genre (Classical Crossover, n.d.):

1. Converting or remaking a classical work into pop songs.

2. Converting pop songs into classical pieces or arranging them in a more classical style.

3. Adding drum machines to various versions of classical works.

4. Making an album that contains various pieces using traditional songs, hymns, standards, film music, classic showtunes, and popular pieces.

5. Singers (usually popular music artists) who challenge their repertoire by singing operatic