Is Classical Music Dying!? (No!)

26 Sept 2025 · 2 min

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This content was created by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This content was uploaded by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This is a YouTube video titled "Is Classical Music Dying!? (No!)" (uploaded Sept 26, 2025) consisting of a promotional monologue by Yukimi Song, creator of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. Yukimi addresses pianists and music educators about concerns over declining concert opportunities and student retention, argues that classical music is evolving, and announces an in-person event — "The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song in Concert" — at Stiefel Hall, Mannes Prep (The New School) on October 4th. She lists invited performers (Dr. Jihoon Kerska, Eleanor Bindman, Dr. Nana Ogboh, and Donna Wang Friedman), notes The Piano Pod began in 2020 and has produced 100+ interviews, and invites viewers to RSVP for the free but limited-seating event.

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Hi, fellow pianists and music educators! I am Yukimi Song, creator of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. If you are like me, you've probably felt it—concert opportunities disappearing, audiences shrinking, and fewer kids continuing their piano studies. We devote our lives to this craft, but too often, it feels like the world is moving on without us. I used to wonder the same thing years ago while teaching more than 40 students a week here in New York City. Running from home to home, trying to keep kids motivated while their parents thought of piano just as another after-school activity. I kept hearing, "Classical music is dying." Even my own students would ask me, "Why you only teach classical?" That question shook me. Was my vision outdated? It's what pushed me to start The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song with Yukimi Song in 2020, to create a platform where musicians, educators, and innovators could speak openly about their stories, struggles, and passions. And what I have learned after more than 100 interviews is this: classical music is not dying. It's evolving. On October 4th, I want to share that spirit with you in person at The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song in Concert hosted at Stiefel Hall at Mannes Prep, The New School. I have invited 4 extraordinary pianist thought leaders I have had the honor of interviewing on the show. Dr. Jihoon Kerska, Eleanor Bindman, Dr. Nana Ogboh, and Donna Wang Friedman. Each of them is reimagining how we reach audiences through innovative transcriptions and grassroots projects, films, and community-driven performances. This event is not just a concert. It's a space for all of us pianists, teachers, to see what's possible when we connect creativity with community. Admission is free, but seating is limited. RSVP now through the link in bio and join us as we reimagine the future of classical music together.