After the COVID-19 pandemic, there appeared to be two seemingly paradoxical phenomena. First, audiences that returned to concerts and other arts venues roared with enthusiasm about in-person, live experiences. Second, audience attendance seemed lower than pre-COVID levels. Why was this happening?

———

Discovering the Importance of Social Experiences

From the many months of lockdown during which musicians were forbidden from in-person performances, I shared an apartment with pianist Mackenzie Melemed, who fortunately had a wonderful Steinway in the living room. In three months, we learned eight different recital programs and started a live-stream series called “Max and Mac” on Groupmuse, an organization that organized chamber music house concerts that temporarily pivoted to offering digital performances. Once Mackenzie moved to Finland, I continued the spirit of this series on my own, called “Max Tan and Friends.” Throughout the pandemic, I invited a small number of friends to put together chamber music concerts live-streamed from my living room. While this was a practical way to sustain a small community with our musical livelihoods, it was also a fruitful exploration of great music with time we usually would not have together.

We were particularly proud of our artistic output, and our streamed concerts were followed by a social gathering on Zoom. I was surprised to discover that the dedicated attendees of my humble series were primarily interested in my speaking about the music during the program and in the post-concert social hour, not necessarily the performances. I loved getting to know people from across the United States from my living room. We have stayed in touch from these concerts.

———

On Modern Salon Concert Culture and Upcoming Projects

My current dissertation work touches on how salon concerts in 19th-century France introduced contemporary music to the public. Many of these works are now beloved gems of the Classical music repertoire today. Musicians often gather for informal sight-reading parties, performances of new music, discussions on art trends (and gossip), all over food and lots of drinks. For these highly revered artists and composers of the past, music was important to the social fabric of their lives.

As the whole world adjusts to a post-COVID environment, I wonder if audiences are searching for new experiences, environments that feel familiar yet adventurous. I sense artists—composers and performers alike—are searching for this, too, a sense of belonging, a sense that their work means something. I pulled together a group of friends willing to explore this with me and founded Soundbox Ventures to address this need felt by both artists and audiences.

Incorporated in November 2022, Soundbox Ventures is a non-profit organization dedicated to organizing musical projects with the focus on this search for relevance by artists and audiences alike. Our first project was incubated by the Sarasota Art Museum: a modern take on the salon concerts of the 19th-century, a pilot season of “Listen Hear” was launched to give the audience a glimpse into a musician’s artistic process. How do you listen for meaning and expression? Each event is a conversation between artists and audience on a particular way of listening. Some of our upcoming projects include the following:

• a celebration of Ned Rorem’s life in music and words around his Centenary,

• presentation of Catalonian music that explores cultural identity

• promoting music of our time through a new composer fellowship program in Sarasota, giving emerging young composers a platform and tools to advocate for their artistry,

• a benefit concert at the intersection of music and medicine, a tribute to the horn player Larry Solowey, co-principal horn of the Sarasota Orchestra, who was diagnosed with ALS.

Soundbox Ventures is a very small organization. However, I hope that our vision is something that rings true for artists who constantly refine their craft and strive to make their work relevant. Please browse our website to learn more about our program offerings and consider supporting our important work. While we are starting out small in Sarasota, FL, we hope to bring our projects to you throughout the United States and, eventually, around the world.