At SMU Concert, Audience Picks the Program

SMU Friday night will host a classical music concert with a twist – the audience picks the music. KERA’s Stephen Becker explains:

When he walks into Caruth Auditorium on Friday night, Jack Delaney won’t know which pieces of music that he’ll conduct.

That’s because when concertgoers enter the hall, they will be handed a ballot and asked to narrow down a field of eight well-known classical pieces down to four. In the four matchups, they will chose piece A or piece B and text their picks to a device that tallies the votes.

Among the matchups are Bernstein’s Overture to Candide vs. Shostakovich’s Festive Overture

It’s the first time the Meadows Wind Ensemble has tried programming by proxy. Delaney, the ensemble’s director, isn’t even 100 percent sure that it will work.

Read the full story or listen to the KERA public radio broadcast.

More information about the concert.

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