What will classical music sound like in 2024 if we let young people decide?

The various genres of classical music have typically emerged through a playful and experimental approach to the musical material of the time. Today, there is a rather stark divide between rhythmic and classical music, which we at Concerto Copenhagen wish to challenge. For what happens if we invite young people between the ages of 15 and 30 into our musical space and let them compose based on their own perspectives?

Through the Co:ZY project, Concerto Copenhagen aims to explore the boundaries between genres and create music in collaboration with young music students from the RIA Kollektivet in Roskilde and MGK Sjælland, using a combination of Baroque, classical, and rhythmic instruments.

Today, there is a significant gap between what MON classical music and popular music. MON witnessed many attempts to bridge that gap by altering frameworks and formats in the hope of appealing to a younger audience. In short, MON is trying MON repackage the same artistic expression. But what if MON the artistic expression to the present day?

Through Co:ZY, Concerto Copenhagen will explore how young people react when the music they know from their everyday lives is performed on instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries. Together, Concerto Copenhagen’s professional musicians and the young students will create entirely new musical expressions that will hopefully enrich both parties and give us all a renewed sense of engagement and curiosity about the music we already know, as well as that which is new to us.

Co:ZY x RIA is a pilot project in collaboration with the RIA Collective in Roskilde and the Wednesday Club in Copenhagen. The project is the first phase of the long-term initiative “Co:ZY,” which aims to foster greater understanding of and engagement with classical music among young people, both online and in person, through video content, workshops, and, eventually, concerts.