primephonic: classical music in the digital age

“We want to present music in its many forms,” Clark said,
“and a lot of that is driven by architecture. The Gilman is
the city’s most beautiful opera house.”
BAM’s audience has never been the same demographic
as a typical Manhattan audience, she added. They’ve always
been younger, more adventurous, and less affluent.
That’s why even today, one-third of all
tickets are under $35. Most events offer
a wide range of ticket prices. BAM’s
three buildings are all set up as traditional
theatres with seats.
Clark said just over half of BAM’s audience
are Brooklynites, and the rest are
mostly from Manhattan. That’s a recent
development. Fort Greene is now full
of high-end restaurants and high-rise
apartment buildings, where BAM is
partnering with developers to make
sure its neighbours know what’s coming
up. “People are walking around late at
night; the whole area feels comfortable and vibrant,”
Clark said.
NATIONAL SAWDUST
Perhaps no recent Brooklyn venue has opened to more
buzz than National Sawdust, which debuted 2015 in
Williamsburg, the poster-neighborhood for hip young
gentrification. David Lang, John Zorn, Meredith Monk,
Nico Muhly, Philip Glass, and Laurie Anderson—a who’s
who of the new music scene—are
among those on the artistic advisory
‘...actually, they
hoot and holler
after the arias,
which is how it
used to be in the
old days’
board, and composer Paola Prestini
is executive and creative director.
The 13,000-square-foot venue, a
renovated sawdust factory, includes
rehearsal and development spaces, a
recording studio, and a trendy bistro.
About half the events in the performance
space are classical music,
according to Courtenay Casey, vice
general manager and senior director
of artistic planning, with a clear
preponderance of new music.
There are 350 to 400 events a year, and most nights are
double-booked. Many of the performances are planned
by curators in different genres; about a quarter of them
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