From the League of Orchestras’ Audience Demographic Research Review,  an alarming graph that shows a comprehensive downward trend in generational participation in classical music. It uses data  from the National Endowment for the Arts and a further analysis by the McKinsey company. You can see clearly how various generations experienced a bump in participation as they got older. The so-called Generation X, however, has yet to exhibit an upward spike as it moves into middle age.  While this is data from the US, I would assume very similar trends are occurring here. Every classical organization should print out this graph, pin it on the bulletin board, and ponder what is to be done.

The Fatal X: Unquiet Thoughts : The New Yorker by Alex Ross