Bringing classical music to the people

“Most performers pretty much ignore the audience – they play and go off … Don’t get me wrong. I worship these guys! But what will make someone who hardly knows about classical music listen to to Grigory Sokolov for two hours straight, and in total silence? you have to work your way up to that … It’s such rubbish that classical music is for the ‘intelligent’ upper classes. My mission is to bring it to as many people as possible.”

– James Rhodes, English pianist.

Cited in: Erica Worth, “Alternative Routes”, Piano. April/May 2011, Issue 59, Warners Group Publications, p.22.

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