The small German newspaper "Berliner Morgenpost" provided for an astonishingly interesting read. In an article they claim that classical music is gaining ground in an otherwise extremely trend-orientateted industry: Event marketing. One of the current pioneers (and most succesful entrepreneurs) is Hardenberg Concept, an agency lead by Countess Isa. Her idea: When classical superstars come to town, why not organise a full-packaged evening with live performances, a visit to local art galleries and a dinner with the star at hand to go with it. The coming year, Hardenberg Concept will organise events with Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko and director Dieter Wedel (at Bayreuth) - and no more than 60 tickets . It's an obvious step and it clearly shows what many classical events are lacking: An emotional contact with the performing artists. Whether or not these kind of over-priced happenings are only further widening the gap between the already well-known and second rank musicians is another question, of course.

Source: Berliner Morgenpost
Countess Isa's Homepage: Hardenberg Concept