A few decades ago, a night at the symphony still conjured an audience wearing formal attire and eligible for Medicare. The classical music world found itself aging into at least some irrelevance. But in recent years, symphony halls have been infused with new blood, both on stage and in the audience.

A Surge In Younger Classical Music Fans

Across the United States and beyond, orchestras are reporting a surge in younger audiences that rises above a novelty trend. A 2022 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tracking survey found that 65% of people under the age of 35 regularly listen to orchestral music. The group is “now more likely to be listening (to orchestral music) than their parents,” the report found.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) has been among the most aggressive in courting younger audiences. More than half of the orchestra’s audience is now Gen X, Millennial, or Gen Z, according to the organization’s tracking data.

“Gen Z engages with culture differently than older generations,” said Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO’s President and CEO, in an interview. “We’re intentional about meeting people where they are—removing barriers and creating genuine experiences.”

The orchestra, led by music director Stéphane Denève, has focused on relevant social settings as a way to attract youth. “Setting the right social context helps them to engage; it can really speak to them,” said Bernard.

An example: The SLSO’s Playlist happy hour series presents orchestral music in casual settings with shorter runtimes. It also includes conductor narration, post-concert social gatherings and DJ sets in the lobby. “They also get a chance to interact with the musicians,” Bernard said. “That’s really important because we have a young orchestra, most are well under the age of 40. They feel a connection.”

A Beethoven-Beyoncé Mashup

The SLSO has also staged cross-genre mashups like “Beethoven X Beyoncé,” performed in collaboration with composer and producer Steve Hackman, whose reimagined symphonic works help bridge barriers between pop and classical music. Hackman’s Resurrection Mixtape, for example, blends music from the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.

The SLSO’s newly launched “Noted” podcast offers quick takes on upcoming orchestral pieces, formatted for listeners who consume content during commutes or while at the gym. The podcasts are about 10 minutes in length. While brief, the episodes relay insight and genuine depth.

Influencers Help Drive The Younger Trend

Backing those initiatives, the SLSO’s influencer strategy has hosted more than 83 social media creators at Powell Hall, resulting in over 10 million social media views, said Bernard. TikTok personality Tani Lior built a following in part by reacting to classical music through a hip-hop lens. A recent SLSO opening weekend concert marked her first orchestra concert; the influencer’s content views about the event garnered over 11 million views.

"I accidentally fell into being one of the top influencers in classical music,” said Lior in a statement provided by SLSO. “I never expected the impact my reactions would have on my audience. Hearing that many people attended symphonies because of me has been incredibly humbling, and I’m honored to share this experience with the rest of Gen Z.”

Below, TikTok personality Tani Lior With St. Louis Symphony violist Michael Casimir.

Mvstercamp, an artist development program, has partnered with the SLSO to offer musicians comp tickets to its Playlist series. Rapper and producer Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin said that it’s the storytelling that draws Gen Z musicians to the genre. “Since childhood, classical music has been embedded in their creative DNA through toys, cartoons, video games, favorite movies, and samples from favorite songs,” he said in an email.

The LA Phil’s Younger Audiences Continue To Grow

Nearly two thousand miles west, the Los Angeles Philharmonic operates with a different set of variables: three venues, a global brand and a stellar legacy shaped by music director Gustavo Dudamel. The superstar conductor led the LA Phil, as it’s commonly called, in a 2025 Coachella appearance, the first by a major symphony orchestra. The moment crystallized what the LA Phil has long understood: relevance for younger audiences is earned across cultural contexts, not just within concert halls.

In the 2024/25 season, 63% of the LA Phil’s audience was composed of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X combined, according to LA Phil tracking. The three venues—Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and the Ford Amphitheater—offer differing programs geared to varying social contexts.

“We’re definitely seeing a trend upwards in the younger age group,” said LA Phil chief marketing officer Nora Brady, in an interview. “Gen Z listeners have very, very eclectic tastes. They’re introduced to classical music in a variety of ways—through music education, movies or through gaming. A lot of the games that young people play have a huge orchestral component.”

Brady cited the organization’s cross-genre collaborations and its mission to foster artists as key to attracting and retaining younger audiences. Case in point: Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey, now one of music’s biggest orchestral pop stars with a massive Gen Z following.

“Laufey went from one summer selling out at the Ford to the next summer selling out at the Hollywood Bowl,” Brady said. “We can foster an artist and give them a platform to start their work, and then grow them to our other venues. That’s core to our strategy.”

The LA Phil’s resident fellows program, launched in 2018, trains early-career symphonic musicians, preparing them for positions in major professional orchestras. Similarly, the Dudamel Fellowship Program schools promising young conductors from around the world.

Building The Next Generation Of Musicians

The LA Phil’s Green Umbrella concert series, launched in 1987, has also been crucial to enlivening the genre. It serves as a laboratory for daring modern works that often feature the LA Phil New Music Group. “The LA Phil champions not only historical classical composers, but also fosters the music of today across different cultures and genres,” Brady said. “Our subscribers expect that kind of variety and are proud of it.”

With Gustavo Dudamel’s upcoming departure to the New York Philharmonic, the LA Phil recently appointed Anna Handler, 29, as the LA Phil’s conductor-in-residence. Brady noted that while Handler’s youth is part of the appeal, “her commitment to youth education, YOLA and the desire to be connected to the Los Angeles community is what’s vital, and why she’s going to be such a great fit.”

Founded in 2007, YOLA, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, is the LA Phil’s signature education program that provides free instruments, intensive music training and academic support to musicians aged 6-18 across Los Angeles County. It’s inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, which Dudamel greatly benefited from, starting when he was five years old.