The Return of Improvisation to Classical Music

Improvisation used to be part of classical music in a similar way it is part of jazz today. After a century-long absence, recent decades have seen a growing movement of bringing improvisation back to Western classical concert culture and conservatory education.

“Today’s performers, shaped in the crucible of competitions and recordings, learn early to avoid risk as a threat to consistency and accuracy. There is nothing more risky than improvisation, but there is nothing more devastating to music’s dramatic and emotional message than avoidance of risk. — If we want the audience to pay attention, we must do what actors do: invest our performances with spontaneity and danger. Improvisation guarantees both.”

— Robert Levin, 2009