This article was originally published in The Bastion, currently under renovation.
Christian Kluxen knows he can be intimidating. Now in his seventh season as Victoria Symphony’s Music Director and Principal Conductor, he often meets Victorians who, upon being introduced to an actual maestro, respond with a measure of discomfort: “When I say what it is I do, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s…interesting.’ I get from them a feeling of solemn fear, like they’re curiously fearful about the classical concert form, unsure how to approach it.”
He understands why. “It’s how I would feel if I was asked to go to Copenhell”—a massive heavy metal festival held each year in Kluxen’s native Copenhagen—“I wouldn’t even know what to wear. I don’t usually headbang—would I have to do that?”
Kluxen feels an artistic responsibility to broaden Victoria Symphony’s style and scope, beyond what established subscribers expect: “I want to give them the music they don’t know they like.” Transforming apprehensive locals into regular concertgoers is one of the many challenges Kluxen and symphony CEO Matthew White face in their efforts to ensure that Victoria maintains a world-class symphony orchestra. Programming is a crucial needle to thread, balancing tradition against innovation.
The symphony’s job, according to Kluxen, is to “make people want to be in a closed room with their emotions for one more minute than they feel comfortable with.” It’s this emotional resonance of the form that he feels is key to attracting new fans. He’s well aware of the imposing nature of classical music, that it feels to some like an intellectual exercise rather than a night of simple entertainment.
Simon Ogden 