Classical music ensembles and promoters are increasingly scouting out creative venues and themes to attract new audiences to performances, and producer/publicist Andrew Ousley has turned to crypts and catacombs for new concert series in New York. This Saturday (5/18 at 7 pm), A Tempo host Rachel Katz will speak with Ousley about these initiatives, and the way these efforts are drawing in people who might not otherwise attend a classical music performance.
The Crypt Sessions take place in the crypts beneath Harlem's Church of the Intercession, and The Angel's Share, which is beginning its second season, brings audiences into the Catacombs of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. Later this month, Ousley, who is also president of Unison Media, is adding a culinary twist to The Angel's Share, hosting Burgers, Bourbon and Beethoven, which will include a burger cook-off, bourbon tasting, and a performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony at the cemetery.
