Environmental factors affecting classical music concert experience

Abstract

Based on an online survey, this study investigated the effect of various factors, including those related to performance, acoustic condition, visual condition, price, comfort, architectural design, and social aspects, on participants’ selection of concert, seat, and their experience of attending classical concerts. From 153 valid responses, it was found that the most important factors were related to performance, acoustics, and view; but price, comfort, and social factors were also moderately important. Performance and acoustic factors, comfort and view, social aspects, and architectural design were closely linked in participants’ judgments. More frequent concert-goers focused more on the music itself, including performance and acoustics, whereas less frequent concert-goers cared more for the experience of going to a concert, and were more concerned with price, social aspects, view, and architecture. People who were professional musicians, or had backgrounds in acoustics or architecture, attached more importance to visual factors and acoustics. Differences between groups of participants were generally smaller than differences between attributes.