Differentiation within highbrow art appreciation. ‘Comparing cultural activities, motives, experiences and barriers of regular visitors of theatre and classical music’

Differentiation within vertical highbrow taste is researched by giving more insight into the regular visitors of theatre and classical music. I set out to look beyond the often-used predictors of taste such as gender, age, level of education and income. This research explains people’s preference in high art by studying the activities, motives, experiences and barriers of theatre and classical music-goers. The aim was to find out to what extent differences between these two groups could explain their taste, this in order to horizontally broaden the knowledge of highbrow art appreciation. How can we differentiate the white, highly educated elderly people with a love for theatre or classical music? In order to answer this question, sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with regular visitors from a theatre and a concert hall, both located in the city centre of Rotterdam. It is found that the two audience groups of theatre and classical music cannot be put under the same umbrella. We cannot only make the distinction between audiences of popular and high art, but also between audiences of canonised art forms. Classical music-goers are overall older and show a less omnivorous taste. Regular visitors of classical music show higher levels of appreciation and participation, often transferred by their families. Theatregoers attach great value to the educative aspect of their night out and feel the need to take part in topical debates with their company. Regular visitors of theatre distance themselves from the elitist visitors of classical music and they feel it would take time to learn to appreciate this musical style. In this research I address multiple other conclusions that cause a clear image of both audience groups that helps to understand why and in which ways people participate in highbrow art.