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There's a question that seems to come up every few years: Do orchestras still matter?

It's an understandable question. We live in a world with more entertainment choices than ever before. People are busier. Technology has changed how we experience music, and every nonprofit competes for the same philanthropic dollars. It's easy to look at those realities and wonder whether organizations like ours can continue to thrive.

I believe they can.

More importantly, I believe they must.

A recent Boston Globe article examined a challenge facing orchestras across the country: classical music audiences are shrinking. The statistics are sobering.

National attendance at live classical performances has been cut nearly in half over the past five years, and even organizations like the Boston Symphony Orchestra are rethinking programming, pricing, and the concert experience to reconnect with today's audiences.

Is classical music still relevant? It's a question I hear often, and one that deserves more than a simple yes or no. My answer is yes. Absolutely. But perhaps not in the same way it was two hundred years ago. Classical music itself has not become less valuable. The world around it has changed.

When Beethoven was composing his symphonies, there were few ways to experience great music. A concert was one of the defining cultural events of a community. Today, we live in a world of unlimited entertainment. Movies, streaming services, podcasts, social media, sports, gaming, and millions of songs are available instantly on a device that fits in our pocket. We have access to more music than at any other point in human history.

“I’ve been interested in music my whole life,” says Cape Symphony Conservatory voice student Rima Petrosyan. “I’ve always loved being in theater; that’s where my love of music came from.” 

Rima’s Cape Symphony career began with art classes at age 5. She played the ukelele, studied violin with Richard Balkin, and started singing along with violin lessons.

The Cape Symphony Orchestra presents Let's Groove Tonight: Motown and The Philly Sound at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM and Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 3:00 PM.

Please enjoy a performance in the lobby at 2:00 PM on June 13 by the Cape Symphony Conservatory Seaside String Ensemble.

The Cape Symphony Orchestra presents Voices of Spring: Mahler 5 at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center on May 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM and May 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM.
Ticketholders are invited to a discussion of the concert program led by scholar and retired Cape Symphony bass trombonist George Scharr one hour before each performance.