Business 101 for Classical Musicians (1–1)
Musicians Need More Than Talent — They Need a Management Skillset.
Can classical musicians succeed with performance skills alone?
Many classical musicians focus solely on their craft, but the reality is different. Without business skills such as concert planning, marketing, and financial management, it’s difficult to build a sustainable career. In the past, honing skills naturally led to opportunities. But today, musicians must build their own brand and actively create their own chances. That’s precisely why business management education for artists is necessary. This article aims to introduce the essential business knowledge and strategies that classical musicians need in today’s world.
Why is business management education for classical musicians essential?
You might wonder, “Aren’t there experts in arts management?
Why should musicians need to understand management?”
It’s true that professional arts managers exist and collaborate with musicians to provide concert and lecture opportunities. However, the classical music scene is disproportionately dependent on agents, creating an imbalanced structure unlike what we see in the visual arts or popular music industries.
In classical music, artists typically gain recognition through competitions or auditions before management gets involved. In contrast, other arts industries often see management discover and nurture artists from early in their careers, investing in their potential and sharing in their success. In the classical field, the role of management is primarily to promote artists who are already established. This model has both merits and serious drawbacks. While frequent stage experience can help build performance skills, excessive schedules may lead to injury or damage a musician’s reputation due to a lack of preparation.
This raises questions: Is this structure the only acceptable standard? Are current contracts fair? Who set these norms? Although connecting with a competent agent and performing in prestigious venues is important, I believe classical musicians must also develop diverse social knowledge beyond performance, especially the ability to build their own brand through maximizing their strengths.
Artists are natural entrepreneurs. Just like business leaders, they must cultivate a distinct artistic style and compelling narrative that resonates with audiences and makes their work recognizable and desirable.
(To be continued…)
Written by Leo Kim
