Audiences
An attentive relationship with the public is at the heart of the concerns of the French Association of Orchestras and of each of its members: music only exists in its resonance with the ears of the audience.
What you need to know
Until 2015, there was no specific national survey of orchestral music audiences that could provide objective information for the debate.
The survey on orchestra audiences conducted at the initiative of the AFO, entrusted to theAristat agency and financed jointly with the thirteen participating orchestras, with the support of Crédit Coopératif and the Audiens group, was a first step in understanding orchestra audiences.
It has provided a snapshot of the reality of orchestral audiences, thus offering professionals and public authorities elements of understanding: what are the characteristics of the audience? What motivates them to attend concerts? How do they develop their practice and their passions?
This survey has made it possible to put a number of preconceived ideas into perspective by highlighting the great diversity of spectators' origins, musical tastes and behaviours; this information is essential for all those involved in music policy to consolidate the presence of classical music in all regions, for the benefit of audiences, artists and the cultural vitality of our country.
In 2018, the AFO and Aristat carried out a second round of surveys covering the 2018 - 2019 season.
The two parts of the survey are combined in the book Un public mosaïque - A la découverte des spectateurs de la musique symphoniquepublished by Editions de l'Attribut in 2021.
AFO studies and key figures
- When one audience hides another (2013-2014)
➡ Focus 1 - Rejuvenation and democratization, a contradictory injunction
➡ Focus 2 - A late entry into classical: reverse socialization
➡ Focus 3 - Ages of symphonic music audiences in France
- A mosaic audience - Discovering symphonic music audiences
This book, published by Editions de l'Attribut, brings together the results of surveys carried out over the 2013-2014 and 2018-2019 seasons.