Players increasingly bow to demands from home

For many classical musicians, balancing the demands of job and home life is proving increasingly tricky. A report titled A Bittersweet Symphony has revealed that four out of ten musicians with caring responsibilities, either for children or elderly or sick relatives, have considered leaving the industry due to the pressures involved in trying to fit everything around rehearsals and engagements away from home. Women are particularly hard hit, often accepting loss of income when no other solution can be found. ‘Only by re-evaluating established working practices, can we begin to tackle wellbeing impacts, inclusion and diversity, and potential loss of talent,’ concludes the report.