We Have an Issue: A Home of Its Own
In this week’s cover story, Robert Faires previews classical music station KMFA’s stunning new $11 million facility in East Austin
By Kimberley Jones, Fri., Jan. 29, 2021
Arts Editor Robert Faires is as enthusiastic a classical music supporter as anyone; he's been covering the beat for the Chronicle since 1993, after all. But even he was a little taken aback at the astonishing $11 million sum KMFA, Austin's long-running classical music station, was sinking into building a glorious new home to call its own in East Austin. Skeptics could be forgiven for wondering, "Is classical music really a growth industry?"
Turns out, yes, absolutely, which Robert discovered over the course of his reporting for this week's cover story about KMFA's new digs. "We can't just assume that classical music has stopped appealing to younger people, or people younger than AARP numbers," Robert told me. The data backs him up: KMFA has seen a 20% increase in listenership since the start of the pandemic, and notably a jump among twentysomethings.
For now, the new facility – all 18,000 square feet of it – is closed to the public, though it was, as Robert describes it, "built with the community in mind." In the meantime, we'll have to savor staff photographer Jana Birchum's images, including a peek at the Draylen Mason Music Studio, named for the young musician killed in the 2018 Austin bombing spree. That studio enjoys its official grand opening this weekend via a series of livestreamed concerts. Find out more about that and the rest of the story behind the KMFA relocation.
Your days are running out to vote in the annual Austin Music Poll. Submissions close Feb. 1. Cast your ballot at vote.austinchronicle.com. Then take a deep breath, flex your fingers, and get ready to vote some more very soon: After a 2020 hiatus, the Chronicle's "Best of Austin" Awards are returning. Voting in the first-round ballot kicks off Feb. 12.
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