Toronto-based Pocket Concerts is promoting a new and exciting way of experiencing classical music. Rather than playing in the concert hall, they bring the music to your living room.
Pocket Concerts arranges for top professional musicians to perform chamber music at parties organized in people’s homes throughout the city. The audience gets the opportunity to hear pieces played in an intimate setting and to interact with the musicians after the performance over drinks and snacks. Audiences have ranged in size from five to 120.
Artistic director Rory McLeod, who is supported in the role by his wife Emily Rho, explains in the video how effective this format is at bringing musicians closer to their audience. This is true not only in the sense of distance but also because they are engaging with the local community. Pocket Concerts reinforces this message of reaching out by co-creating concerts with the host.
A Pocket Concerts performance. Image credit: pocketconcerts.ca