Modernizing Music: Merging Pop, Techno, Dance, and Classical
When we think about classical music, Madonna and David Bowie usually aren’t the first people who come to mind. Yet, innovators are always “bridging the gap” between classical music and popular culture, and the styles and instrumentation of classical music can be reinterpreted in a myriad of ways in order to attract modern audiences!
Netflix’s hit show, Bridgerton, reinterprets pop music into heartfelt, string quartet arrangements! “One thing that has become blatantly clear from the popularity of these covers is that people of this younger generation do understand classical music,” said SFCM violinist Isabel Tannenbaum. “They may not understand the history or theory of what they are hearing, but they get the essence and emotion of it,” she added.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s show "STAR DUST: From Bach to Bowie," pays tribute to a pair of musical giants — albeit from very different eras — classical master Johann Sebastian Bach and rock star David Bowie. "I think Bach in one way is very mathematical in how he composed music — it could even be argued to be scientific — yet I find an incredible amount of emotion in his music. The music is so rhythmical, with so many colors and textures. It lends itself to movement, in my opinion, immediately."
The piano and electronics soloist for Tao of Purity & Power, Conrad Tao, also ventures outside the classical sphere, by incorporating electronics, inspired by techno-club music, into orchestral works.
Go On A Deep Dive
On “Going Classical”: String Arrangements of Pop Music in Bridgerton
Complexions Contemporary Ballet moves to the cosmic music of Bach and Bowie
Conrad Tao Is Reshaping the Image of the Piano Virtuoso for the 21st Century
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Music of ‘Bridgerton’
