CLASSICAL
Are there ways to mitigate the financial challenges of working with so many musicians and everything that goes along with managing that scale issue?
The orchestral world faces major challenges, especially around commercial viability, funding cuts, and international touring logistics. Programming, audience engagement, and music education are critical for long-term sustainability. Despite setbacks post-Covid, international touring is thriving, with artists including Klaus Mäkelä, Víkingur Ólafsson and Dalia Stasevska leading high-profile global performances. Costs, border controls, and environmental concerns make touring complex, while funding cuts impact orchestras and opera companies alike. Advocacy and visibility from artists and partners are vital. Investing in music education, new work, and diverse talent is essential to revitalising the industry and ensuring a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient cultural future.
You have worked to close the gap between contemporary and classical music. How successful is that proving to be?
Coming from a commercial background in film, TV, and pop, I joined HP Group in 2013 to bring a broader perspective. I founded Polyarts to bridge classical and commercial music, creating projects that don’ t fit neatly into one genre – from symphonic collaborations with Cypress Hill and Coltrane’ s estate to game and film composers. Though initially challenging, Polyarts is now a leading force in hybrid programming, acting as a creative lab for HP Group. Demand for cross-genre orchestral projects is rising globally, with artists and audiences embracing them. We tailor each project to ensure artistic integrity, working closely with partners to build lasting impact.
We are also signing artists who appeal to wider, diverse audiences in the New Classical sphere. For example, Joe Hisaishi, Hildur Gudnadottir, Carlos Simon and Alexandre Desplat. That is making a big difference.
“ AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT, AND MUSIC EDUCATION ARE CRITICAL FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.”
Are you facing resistance from the classical music establishment?
Change is often met with resistance, but these times offer a real opportunity to improve the classical music industry for artists and access to wider community. Collaboration across artists, partners, and governments is essential to invest in education, new music, and fairer models. At Polyarts and HP Group, early innovations faced scepticism, but we’ ve shown that evolution doesn’ t mean lowering standards, just increasing accessibility and professionalism. Financial structures must modernise to better serve artists. Víkingur Ólafsson, who is managed by Ariane Levy- Kunstler at HP, is a leading example of bridging classical and commercial success with over one billion streams, global tours, strong label partnerships, and a Grammy win, proving the power of new approaches and being able to adapt methods and vision.
Have you considered a contemporary / classical outdoor music festival?
Indeed. Coming up with these projects is the best part; there are so many iconic venues and festivals: Pompeii, Verona, Blenheim, Hampton Court, the Forbidden City. Polyarts curates each symphonic project by combining conductors, arrangers, headline artists, and partner orchestras from our roster. We tailor venues to each artist, recent highlights include Stewart Copeland performing in historical squares in Florence and on a floating stage in Weimar, and Beck touring major classical venues such as Tanglewood and Royal Albert Hall with conductor Edwin Outwater. It’ s exciting to see HP Group artists like Hildur Guðnadóttir, Dalia Stasevska, featured together at major festivals like the Proms or high-level collaborations with artists such as Vikingur Olaffsson and Laufey, or Carlos Simon and Beyonce’ s video director Melina Matsoukas.
What are your plans for the future? HP Group is leading change in the classical industry, futureproofing through innovation around new audience engagement and global partnerships. While maintaining our legacy of world-class quality, built by my father Jasper over more than 55 years, we’ re challenging norms: modernising business models, recording practices, and adopting 360 ° artist management. Following our 2023 EOT transition and leadership restructure, we’ re expanding internationally and now have offices in London, Munich, Paris, Madrid, Beijing and Tokyo. We are also investing in new music, IP, and education. With more than 350 artists and projects, from Klaus Mäkelä to Hildur Guðnadóttir, we champion accessibility, diversity, and fairer practices. Classical music is evolving, and HP Group is committed to driving that transformation without compromising excellence.
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