It was with shock and sadly a lack of surprise that I viewed the video of the minutes leading up to George Floyd’s death. This footage has shaken the world and sparked one of the biggest civil rights movement in history, through the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter campaign. The sentiment has very much been felt across the Atlantic; here in the UK many, many people have echoed the need for reform and revolution, and the importance of acknowledging Britain’s colonial past. And sadly how systemic racism is still prevalent today. 

As a Black classical musician, this resonated deeply with me. At a time when classical music is the least diverse of all performing arts, I couldn’t help but sit up and feel how important this movement is and, with hope, how it might help catapult classical music into a new era of diversity. 

Classical music is heavy with the weight of tradition. Tradition that sometimes, in my opinion, hinders its ability to move forward. Those very same traditions frame in our own minds what we think a classical musician should look like or how classical music should sound. It can dictate the type of music you are taught to play and the ability you think you have. My career as a performer has been wrought with microaggressions informed by those very preconceptions and assumptions. Whether that be that I would ‘always be late’, that I ‘wouldn’t play to a good enough standard’, that I’m ‘from the ghetto’, that ‘my type don’t belong in the opera or theatre as performers’ or that I ‘should be a jazz musician’. It’s tiring.

On a personal level, this movement has allowed me to freely share some of those experiences with my colleagues for the first time. In the past, I often would not have done so, for fear of not being booked again or offending a White colleague. For many Black musicians, and indeed many Black civilians, systemic racism is an everyday reality. The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked much-needed conversation and recognition of the extent to which musicians who experience racism are impacted personally and emotionally.

Whilst it’s good to talk about these situations, it’s also important to recognise that I’m 14 years into my career. These conversations have been a long time coming. So it’s no surprise that some Black musicians I’ve spoke to feel discouraged. One disheartening exchange I have had with Black colleagues is whether the industry will ever be able to adapt. Let’s face it, it’s not like this is the first time the issue has been addressed. Far from it. Well meaning and some very successful diversity projects have been running as far back in my musical career as I can remember, but we have still not seen significant long-term change. Which has led me to ask - will there ever truly be a place at the table for Black classical musicians? 

Music is universal language, I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché. In theory there is no reason Black musicians should be underrepresented, even in what is traditionally a white western art form. After all, if White musicians can be successful in jazz (a genre of black origin) there is no reason why Black musicians cannot succeed in classical, right? The mastery and enjoyment of art can transcend the things we customarily use to divide ourselves into ‘us’ and ‘other’. Be it race, religion or nationality. That’s the unmitigated beauty of art. But in my opinion, this exemplifies the problems in our discipline.

Why has it been so difficult for Black people to break that glass ceiling? Unfortunately, whether conscious or not, there are many ways in which people with power discriminate against others without ever being called up on it, and the longer that these patterns are unacknowledged, the longer these discriminations are perpetuated.

‘Who gets to make culture, in its widest sense from books to films and music, shapes how we understand ourselves as a society. If certain groups are under-represented in the cultural workforce, their views and perspectives may not be seen, heard or shared. this also means that the arts and culture may only appeal to a particular segment of society, impeding further growth, particularly in terms of recruiting future audiences and retaining a skilled workforce.’ Dr Christina Scharff (2015)

The lack of diversity in classical orchestras is also reflected in the faces we see looking back at us in the audience. In an effort to understand this industry a little better I started working with Multi-Story in February 2020 as Audience Development Officer one day a week. My responsibilities include helping to monitor and diversify audiences, something I was really keen on tackling within the industry. I think it's vital that classical music organisations directly address the racial inequality and lack of diversity in the industry. Notably, Chineke! Orchestra and Paraorchestra champion their diversity as a badge of honour. And you only need to look at their audience to see that diversity works!

As a profession, I hope we can actively acknowledge and explore how and why we are falling short. Are we complicit as individuals - and as an industry - by staying silent? We also need to start listening, and allowing space to hear the personal experiences of all minorities. We need to question and challenge whether we are doing something simply because that’s how it’s always been done - which admittedly can be difficult. We need to look at diversity in the longer term, across all levels of our industry. We need to fund organisations who are successfully tackling these problems and allow them to be the example for others.

It is crucial that we provide space for discussion and ensure that there is long term accountability for our actions. Then we will be able to not only smash that glass ceiling, but also the frame in which it’s built, making classical music a genre that can appeal and reach everyone, inside and out. 

Linton Stephens