Survey Results—What Do Classical Audiences Really Want?

I received very strong response from my "one question" survey, "What do you desire most from classical concerts?" People also supplied great comments. My favorite was: "Calling this a one-question survey is sneaky, but we love you anyway."

To recap, I asked people to rank from "Very Important" to "Couldn't Care Less" these answers:
To hear a star music virtuoso
To be entertained
To go on an emotional journey
To be emotionally involved in the music
To hear music I already know and enjoy
To hear music I've never heard before
To feel connected to an artist
To be dazzled by a performance
To learn about the music
To be inspired

THE TOP ANSWERS: to be emotionally involved in the music and to be inspired ranked highest in the Very Important and Important categories, followed by the desire to learn about the music. In the category of "Nice, but not vital" people mostly chose to hear a star music virtuoso, followed by wanting to hear familiar music, wanting to hear new music, and wanting to feel connected to the artist. 

What won for "Couldn't Care Less?"—To hear a star virtuoso and to be entertained. But these were low responses at 6% and 4%. Most people ranked all the answers as nice, important, or vital. I've included the comments below this blog and people's passion is evident. Even from one response disappointed that "intellectual pleasure" wasn't explicitly included. Some people crave more new music, others really want to hear standard repertoire. Some feel that the hearing music in a good acoustic space is most important. I see this as the beginning of a conversation, not the end. So please feel free to comment!

Lower "scores" rank highest in importance