Londoners enjoy Mozart while Welsh prefer symphonic rock, study reveals

30 May 2018, 10:42 | Updated: 30 May 2018, 10:46

Following a recent rise in the popularity of orchestral music in the UK, a study has found British people’s taste in music varies considerably depending on where they live.

Over two thirds (69 per cent) of British adults would like to experience a live orchestral concert, according to a new study by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

When asked about their preferred genre of orchestral music, more than a third (37 per cent) said they would like to hear works by the great classical composers.

However, the study suggests that the type of concerts people are likely to attend can vary depending on where they live.

Over half (49 per cent) of Londoners surveyed said they would be interested to watch the masterworks of Mozart, Mahler and Beethoven performed live in concert.

But around the rest of the UK, it was different types of orchestral music that came out on top.

In Wales, 88 per cent of people said they would be interested in watching a live concert, and 31 per cent of those said they preferred symphonic rock music.

In Scotland, 35 per cent of those surveyed said they were fans of film music while those in the East of England were most interested in hits from the musicals.

They were also most likely to want to attend a concert of pop-classical crossover (29 per cent), TV soundtracks (34 per cent) and video game music (16 per cent).

In the North West, 20 per cent were interested in attending family friendly concerts that would be appealing to children while Londoners were most likely to want to see a chamber recital (27 per cent) or contemporary music (26 per cent).

James Williams, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra said: “Two emphatic points emerge from our latest survey. First, the richness of orchestral concert music today lies in its diversity. The masterworks remain the most popular individual form but it is the range of other modern manifestations of orchestral music that appeal to two thirds of the public.

“Second, the resurgence of orchestral music is happening from all corners of the UK, well beyond the M25. Whatever your music taste, the results of our latest poll present a clear win for orchestral music and a vote of confidence in its future.”

The RPO will be touring the UK until 17 June in venues including Reading, Crawley, Ipswich and Southend. Find out more here.