Classical music is winning a new generation in Germany – DW – 09/26/2025

When Juri de Marco lifts his hand and plays a note on his small pocket trumpet, people start singing and making music — in concert halls and on the street. There’s no sheet music necessary; following his hand gestures allow people find their way to a shared sound that’s all their own.

What de Marco makes is known as community music. “In high-classical music culture, it’s all about perfection, interpretation and fidelity to the score,” de Marco tells DW.

For him, community music means “making music on an equal footing,” where the social interaction between people of different ages and cultures plays as important a role as the music itself.

Music-making on the rise in Germany

De Marco has tapped into the zeitgeist. According to a study by information and documentation body the Deutsches Musikinformationszentrum, more and more people in Germany are taking up music and singing on an amateur level — even without formal lessons. Over the past four years, the number has grown by 2 million, reaching 16.3 million people.

“Especially in ages up to 15 years, almost half of all children are making music,” said Antje Valentin, secretary general of the German Music Council, an umbrella organization for music culture.

A 2023 Berlin Philharmonie concert celebrated 70 years of the German Music CouncilImage: Peter Adamik/DMR

Children who are introduced to music early become tomorrow’s concertgoers. At the moment, classical music presenters are focusing on reaching young audiences in particular. Special programs and new concert formats are being designed to spark curiosity among groups who might otherwise never set foot in a concert hall.

What tends to resonate is music that moves people, surprises them or fills them with wonder.

The Aurora Orchestra in London, for example, performs entire symphonies from memory. De Marco’s pocket trumpet piques people’s curiosity.

The duo Synaptic, made up of pianist Adele Thoma and singer Theresa Szorek, addresses psychological states of mind in the style of a live podcast. They combine Franz Schubert’s melancholic “Winterreise” song cycle with spoken texts and new music by Bernhard Lang, creating a staged evening of song.

“We’re interested in how society deals with psychological strain, the way it’s also experienced by the protagonist in ‘Winterreise,'” Thoma said. The program is structured like a live podcast in which the audience can follow a person’s suffering with a mix of curiosity and voyeurism.

Many musicians are striving to carve out niches in the concert market with unique programs. Pianist Danae Dörken and vibraphonist Pascal Schumacher recently released a new album featuring piano and vibraphone, with the driving rhythmic patterns of composer Philip Glass.

Dörken (left) and Pascal Schumacher captivate audiences with their spherical soundsImage: Michael Staab

The vibraphone’s ethereal tones are especially captivating for audiences. “For me, as a classical pianist, this was a completely new world,” Dörken told DW at the Beethovenfest Bonn. Luxembourger Pascal Schumacher comes from the world of jazz. “It’s very unusual to work with the vibraphone,” Schumacher said. “You have to reinvent yourself time and again.”

What can classical music be combined with?

Valentin, of the German Music Council, sees enormous potential in concerts with innovative formats — especially when they involve blending classical music with sounds from other cultures. “I see tremendous development with transcultural ensembles,” Valentin said, “especially when combined with classical music.”

One example is Bernhard Schimpelsberger, who learned rhythms and melodies from a guru in India. He brings percussion instruments from around the world into classical concerts. In South Africa, he met cellist Abel Selaocoe.

“Abel plays Bach and sings African hymns over it,” Schimpelsberger said. “It’s incredible.” They have performed together for years as a duo.

Aurora Orchestra played Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony from memory at BeethovenfestImage: Neklame Klasohm

Selaocoe has written an orchestral work that combines classical and South African music, with Schimpelsberger on percussion. For the past two years, they’ve been performing it around the world. “We play it constantly with new orchestras everywhere,” Schimpelsberger said, “and that’s how I made my way into the classical world myself.”

Social media and ‘real-life encounters’

De Marco has also traveled the world collecting music from different cultures for a project about Beethoven. At the Beethovenfest in Bonn, he founded a neighborhood choir. He’s now working on a video for social media about the group.

Today, it’s nearly impossible to gain attention without a presence on social platforms. Young British organist and influencer Anna Lapwood is a prime example: She has more than 2 million followers across her social media channels.

Community musician Juri de Marco founded a choir in the Bonn district of TannenbuschImage: Beethovenfest Bonn

Of course, that requires constant attention and fresh content, the vibraphonist Schumacher said, “but the advantage is that you can reach a specific audience fairly easily and quickly.”

De Marco said it was not followers or clicks that mattered most. His videos are always intended to lead to real-life encounters.

“Especially when you make music across cultures, a sense of understanding for another culture develops very quickly,” he said. In today’s world, that can be an important contribution to mutual acceptance.

This article was translated from German.