There may be a few people out there who think that classical music is dated, boring and only for seniors – but they are wrong.

Young classical musicians are taking the internet by storm, showcasing their virtuosity and passion for the art on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Their performances are inspiring a new generation to discover and engage with classical and neoclassical music.

They are increasingly performing in concert formats tailored to smartphone viewing — a logical evolution in the digital age, though not without its drawbacks, observers note.

Pianist Louis Philippson, from Mülheim an der Ruhr in western Germany, has some 800,000 fans on TikTok and performs in sold-out venues, including Night of the Proms, a series of concerts held annually in Belgium (since 1985), the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

“It’s crazy for me,” says Philippson, 21. What he particularly enjoys is meeting fans from the internet in real life at concerts.

His channels are often about having fun with music and he takes on challenges such as playing the piano blindfolded or tackling a piece with notes scribbled on a napkin.

He also takes a deep dive into the piano skills of “Bridgerton” sweetheart Daphne from the first season of the alternative history regency romance television series.

He says Netflix should have hired a real pianist. “Hey, Bridgerton, call me!”

3.1 million fans on the tour bus

“Social media has definitely sparked the interest of young people under 30,” says pianist Tony Ann, who is currently touring the world with a mix of soulful neoclassical and pop romanticism.

Ann, 31, of Canada, takes his 3.1 million Instagram fans with him on his tour bus, which includes a bar and bedroom, and shows them excerpts from his concerts. For him, social media is a yardstick for his success.

“If there’s a lot of demand on social media, then there’s probably the same demand on streaming portals,” he says.

The biggest stage in the world

Concert pianist Annique Göttler from the Stuttgart area, born in 1995, also belongs to the generation of musicians for whom a presence in mobile-friendly formats is a matter of course.

“Having an Instagram channel and a website is today’s equivalent of a business card,” Göttler wrote in 2023 in an article for the German Association of Musicians in Passau.

Social media is the “biggest stage in the world,” but it also has a lot of competition. After all, the audience has a choice: would they rather spend an evening in a concert hall or watching Netflix on the sofa?

“Anyone who isn’t on social media has significantly worse chances and is almost doomed from the start,” says Göttler.

Beauty pressure

But some take a critical view of the growing role of the internet and the pressures these formats place on musicians, such as Dorte Lena Eilers, professor of cultural journalism at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts (HMTM).

Many young artists feel enormously stressed by the unlimited visibility of their competitors, she says. “It’s about beauty and excellence on a global scale.” If you don’t want to be emotionally overwhelmed, you need a robust psyche.

“Everyone feels the pressure to have as perfect, complete and exciting a profile as possible, to maintain it in the best possible way, with interesting content,” agrees Anita Pongratz, from the same university, confirms.

But that alone is already a full-time job.

Followers instead of art

Social media has become essential for concert organizers, not least as a way of connecting with new promoters.

Institutions, promoters and music labels pay attention to the number of followers, says concert design lecturer Hanni Liang from the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. “The emphasis is shifting.”

In some cases, musicians are hired solely on the basis of their social media presence, “but not because of their art.”

But criticism aside, young people are finally rediscovering classical music and flocking to concerts. This may also be due to the way the evenings are organized.

“For example, I talk all the time between pieces,” says Philippson. “Music must remain something human, something accessible.”