In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to believe that everything you need for a full music education can be found within your lessons, student recitals, or even online platforms like Spotify or YouTube. But what if we told you that without live classical music, you’re missing out on an essential component of your artistic development? From solo piano recitals to orchestral symphonies, experiencing music firsthand is the only way to fully understand the magic of a world-class performance. You simply can’t assimilate the skills you’re learning without feeding your soul with live music.
At the Chopin Academy of Music, we strive to inspire our students to achieve their fullest potential, and part of that process means seeing and hearing the best musicians in action. After all, how can you know what’s truly possible on your instrument unless you witness a professional, in-the-moment performance? Music lessons and student recitals alone cannot convey the depth of artistry that we, as musicians, strive to achieve. That is why attending live classical music events is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Classical Music is an Endangered Species
It’s alarming to consider, but classical music, in many ways, is endangered. Unlike other forms of entertainment, it requires tremendous support—not just financial backing but also live attendance. Government funding is minimal, and without listeners filling concert halls, classical music simply cannot survive. While technology has made music more accessible than ever, recordings and online streaming platforms like YouTube or Spotify can never replicate the unique energy, emotion, and nuance of a live performance.
Music is a living art. It depends on an active relationship between performers and listeners, which can only exist when you’re sitting in the audience, witnessing it unfold before your eyes and ears. The question is not just about supporting the music financially, but showing up, being present, and participating as an engaged listener.
A Symbiotic Relationship: Performer and Listener
Classical music cannot exist in a vacuum. It relies on a symbiotic relationship between performers, audiences, and the greater artistic community. True artistry doesn’t happen for personal gain or glory, but as a shared experience. It’s not enough to perform for awards or college applications. What gives music its meaning is community support—whether that’s supporting a peer, attending performances, or celebrating those at the top of their field. Without live participation, classical music risks becoming a selfish, isolated activity—far from the communal experience it was meant to be.
Since COVID, we’ve noticed an alarming trend: concert attendance is way down. People have become more insular, more private, seemingly satisfied with online activities from the comfort of their homes. But this trend must change. The COVID pandemic itself was devastating to live music events, with nearly two years during which very little happened. Imagine that—an entire discipline or art form can simply vanish because it ceases to exist. That is how fragile classical music is. If we don’t return to live events, the fabric of our cultural society will slowly unravel. What’s left behind if we cease to actively support and attend live music performances? The truth is that nothing can replace the experience of being there—to hear the rise and fall of a pianist’s dynamics or to feel the swell of a live orchestra. The future of classical music depends on us, and on you.
We know attending live events can be inconvenient. For our students and families in Issaquah and Sammamish, the idea of crossing Lake Washington and traveling to Seattle for a concert can feel like an added burden. Then, there’s homework, sports, and extracurricular activities—things that seem to pile up and leave little time for the arts. But we need to ask ourselves, can anything truly substitute for the experience of attending live music? Classical music is irreplaceable, and as busy as we all are, it’s important to remember that art and music deserve a place in our schedules too.
Last weekend’s Seattle International Piano Competition—an event that was created specifically to inspire our students—saw a disappointingly low turnout from the Chopin Academy of Music community. Only about 3% of our students attended. How often do we get to hear the world’s next generation of piano greats in one place, right in our city? The SIPC was a rare opportunity to witness something truly exceptional, and many missed out. We hope that moving forward, our students will take advantage of such opportunities, not just for personal enjoyment but as a commitment to the art of classical music and to their own growth as musicians.
We invite you, our students and families, to make attending live classical music events a priority. Whether it’s a concert at Benaroya Hall or a piano recital here in the city, it’s time to step outside of our routines and support the very art form that inspires us all. Together, we can keep classical music alive for generations to come.
