A commissioned piece on the ways how Antwerp Symphony Orchestra - Europe's premier orchestra's - expands the reach of classical music.
This is the balancing act for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra—a travelling ensemble, a prestigious music venue, and one of Flanders' classical epicentres. Based in the diamond city of Antwerp since 1955, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is proud to call the renowned Queen Elisabeth Hall (Koningin Elisabethzaal) their home.
Their challenge? To build a digital space that speaks to everyone, from international venues to curious kids, all while staying loyal to their most traditional audience. Jo Wyers, part of the Antwerp Symphony team that made it happen, tells the story of their digital transformation to speak to all those audiences at the same time.
Jo calls me from the concert hall in Antwerp, catching a moment between rehearsals, and starts by sharing how music has always been her passion. A contrabass player in her free time herself, she couldn’t resist the allure of the orchestra, joining the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra three years ago.
Yet, from day one, she recognised something crucial: the opportunity for this orchestra to reach a wide, diverse audience. "Whether it’s children hearing classical music for the first time or company teams looking for something special to celebrate, everyone deserves the chance to experience the magic of our orchestra of over 80 amazing musicians."
As part of the marketing team, Jo knew she was in the right place to make a difference. But there was work to be done. "The communication in our sector is traditionally more heavily focused on print and offline resources than I’ve seen elsewhere," she recalls. "It took me some time to realise that this is still crucial for our older, more traditional audiences. They still value the prestige and experience of having a season brochure in hand. But in order to reach new, more diverse groups, we had to step up our digital presence.”
The orchestra already had a website at the time. But it was merely functional and a bit rusty, serving primarily as a calendar and ticket sales platform."It did exactly what it needed to do," Jo says, "but it didn’t allow us to engage with different target groups or to share content beyond the basics."
How do you create a space where anyone, no matter their digital skills, can easily navigate, feel welcome to engage with the orchestra, and understand that it’s not just a performance venue, but also a high level ensemble that travels the world? That was the challenge the marketing and communications team was facing, and it’s what led them to CultureSuite.
Powered by CultureSuite’s award-winning CMS, Peppered, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra launched a new, dynamic website that has transformed their digital presence. "The website has only been live for less than a year, but it’s already a completely different experience," Jo enthuses. "Now, we have so much more flexibility to tell our story."
The team was clear on what they wanted: the digital experience of the orchestra should be tailored for different groups, from schoolchildren to corporate groups and their loyal supporters – the Friends of the Orchestra – to the international fans that come to visit the ensemble around the world. Each of these groups have unique needs, and the new website enables Jo and her team to meet them with targeted experiences.
"For schools, they can now access teaching materials directly from the website," Jo explains. "And for corporate groups, we’ve made sure to highlight programmes that are relevant to them. Even our Friends of the Orchestra can log in and get tailored information."
This shift toward storytelling has been crucial in reaching a broader, more diverse audience. The new platform allows for personalisation and rich media, such as videos, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights, extending beyond a traditional print brochure.
"We have an amazing amount of stories to tell, and this website finally gives us the space to do that," says Jo. "Before, there was no room for personalisation. Now, with features like our 'Discover' section, we can really invite the audience into our world."
When I ask Jo about her favourite expression of storytelling on the website, she doesn’t even pause to think. The answer is immediate: the one they’re rehearsing right now in the rooms next to her, Mozart’s Requiem.
“It’s completely sold out,” she says. “But what I love most is how everything just came together in the new digital space. The soloists each have their own pages, there are articles about Mozart, and we even linked a podcast. Honestly, it’s one of the projects I’m most proud of. It really shows the richness of the piece and how our new website amplifies it.”
But how will Jo engage those classical music fans who aren’t exactly enthusiastic about using websites? Jo laughs. "A part of our audience still prefers buying tickets at the box office or over the phone—and that’s totally fine," she says. "We haven’t forgotten about them and continue to invest in our personal approachability. Furthermore, we made sure the website is super simple, with larger text and easy navigation, so if they do decide to use it, booking a seat won’t be a hassle."
As our conversation wraps up, Jo reflects on how the collaboration with CultureSuite has helped the orchestra strike the right balance between their international reputation and local engagement.
"We have a global presence, especially when we’re on tour, so it was important that someone managing a venue in Seoul could navigate our site just as easily as a local audience member here in Antwerp," she explains. "The website design had to capture both worlds, and now it does."
This article was written in commission by CultureSuite and in collaboration with their client Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.
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