Diversity Dilemma continued.. The nearby London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has been particularly successful at reaching new audiences, having appointed Michelle Abbey as its audience development officer more than two years ago. ‘Diversity is important because it matters that everyone shares their cultures,' she says, ‘and it's important that the arts are accessible to everyone.' Abbey, who worked in the theatre sector before joining the LPO, has personal experience ‘of feeling excluded from the arts'.

‘I grew up in Liverpool so I know that the arts are not very visible to grass-roots communities. The most important part of my role is removing social barriers. That means addressing every area – including making your marketing literature and flyers accessible and using them to speak to diverse audiences with the right voice.

‘The LPO has come on leaps and bounds,' she continues. ‘They realised they couldn't continue doing marketing or publicity to a narrow audience when that didn't reflect the city they lived in. But it's not just about bums on seats – it's about building long-term relationships. And people shouldn't underestimate how difficult audience development work is.'
Other classical arts organisations have risen to the challenge. The BBC Proms, currently in full swing, were founded on the principles of accessibility. Informal, cheap concerts provide everyone with easy opportunities to hear the best music and music-making in the world. The Proms continue to reach out to new and diverse audiences to ensure that future generations of concert-goers recognise classical music can be for them.

In addition to large-scale events for children (the Blue Peter Proms and the BBC Children's Prom in the Park), there have been Proms schemes developing contact with new and younger audiences. Around 120 teenagers from London 's Turkish, Chinese and Asian communities were invited last year to join workshops in music, theatre, creative writing and visual art to create a performance alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble.

Specialist conservatoires have played their part as well. In 2003, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD) developed a collaborative scheme with African musicians and students from the school. Artists from the Gambia, South Africa and Tanzania visited GSMD, where they taught new instruments, explored new playing and learning techniques and imparted a little of the experience of non-Western music-making.

But do any of these schemes actually solve the apparent crisis of ethnic representation in mainstream classical music and its audiences? Or is it just a token nod to political correctness?
Althea Ifeka is of English and Nigerian heritage and grew up in Australia . She plays and teaches the oboe and cello and says, ‘I really enjoy teaching young people and know from my own records that 70 per cent of the people who I tutor are from multiracial communities. Parents, in particular from the Caribbean , are passionate about education and are keen for their young people to develop a range of interests.'
Clem Ishmael, conductor and music director of Disney's Lion King, has worked across all music genres and is a well-known success story. His original training was as a conductor. He points to the pivotal role the Black Cultural Archives played some 22 years ago, when they contracted him, Shirley Thompson, Errollyn Wallen and Keith Waithe to perform. All are now leading lights in their musical field (Errollyn Wallen was recently appointed composer in residence at Trinity College of Music) so the hard work is paying off. Ishmael started making music with established white choirs; it took a long while for his work to be recognised and funded by the Arts Council. He feels that things have improved but that there was a time when his work was pigeonholed.
‘I ensure that I am involved with working with children's opera companies like W11 in Notting Hill,' he says. ‘It is vital that black people are seen in all aspects of music – lighting, conducting, singing and playing. The only way you can get a feel for the issues is by going back to the pipeline. Are black and minority ethnic young people applying to study music? How does the career fare after they have completed?'
Acclaimed organist, pianist and conductor Wayne Marshall grew up in Birmingham . For him, not playing classical music was not an option: ‘When my parents arrived from Barbados in the 1950s they carried on the traditions of going to church and appreciating all types of music. ‘My mother played the piano and I followed on from this. My parents ensured that I wanted for nothing and encouraged my interest and perseverance in music. I know no other way of life. Times are different now and young people have so many choices and pull on their time. But people do not ignore good talent.'
US-born singer and recent Royal Academy of Music graduate Robert Anderson agrees: ‘I have been studying in the UK since 1998 and I can honestly say that I my colour has not affected the way I am perceived, nor has it affected my development in the UK . I think that overall times have changed (or are changing...) in order to allow for artistic ability. However, having not been brought up in this country, perhaps I am not as sensitive to the “subtleties” of racism. I think this is a good thing as one runs the risk of developing an over-sensitive nature which can impede one's professional development.'

Despite the positive action, remarkably few black, Asian or Chinese composers or orchestral musicians have gained a foothold in Britain 's mainstream classical market. It was partly for this reason that Nitro (formerly the Black Theatre Co-op) partnered with the Royal Opera House in November 2003 to produce A Nitro at the Opera. Performers who showcased at this world premiere included nine black British composers – among them Dainty Drysdale, Errollyn Wallen, Alex Wilson, Clement Ishmael and Dominique Le Gendre – and other established names in a wide variety of musical fields. The next step saw completed, commissioned pieces performed at a festival on 10 January.
A Nitro at the Opera was a significant breakthrough for Le Gendre, who became the first female composer and the first black person to compose an opera for Covent Garden . Her work will premiere in the autumn of 2006.

‘I never imagined or envisaged that I would have had the opportunity to perform my first major piece of work with the Royal Opera House and contribute to making history,' Le Gendre says. ‘Initiatives such as these are fantastic but it is important that young people who engage in them feel that they can continue and clear paths are evident. Succession planning is critical so that future generations will feel empowered and are confident.'