A concert pianist trained at the Royal College of Music in London, England, Laura van Leest worked as product manager for Polygram in 1997 before coming to Canada.
At Universal Classics, she heads promotions and coordinates album releases under labels as famous as Decca, Phillips and Deutsche Gramophone. As a label manager with an incredibly busy schedule, van Leest often feels like a mother in the office, overseeing the well-being of her musical children.
To give classical novices and veterans a taste of the industry and a peek inside Universal’s new releases, she took time out to talk about the genre that covers much more than Beethoven and Rossini.
Digital Journal: What are the hot items that Universal Classics has released recently?
Laura van Leest: Anew self-titled Ashley MacIsaac album is a treat. He has shed the bad boy image and is now clean-cut, but still playing that up-tempo fiddle music.
Two of the world’s hottest opera singers, Rene Fleming and Bryn Terfel, teamed up for a duet album with a twist. Under the Stars features songs by Cole Porter, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim.
German chanteuse Ute Lemper has a new CD, But One Day, that includes songs from Weill, Piazolla and, for the first time ever, from her own pen.
For classical fans, a two-CD compilation called Karajan Forever showcases the best work from Deutsche Gramophone’s best-selling conductor. Over 170 minutes of music features works by Vivaldi, Mozart and Tchaikovsky, among others.
Digital Journal: Are listeners buying music by artists like teenage singer Charlotte Church, or going back to the masters?
Laura van Leest:There are two different customers: complete purists who are dedicated to core classics, and others who are more open-minded to look at crossover artists like Andrea Bocelli. I rarely find customers who want both. Regarding classics, I still notice that element where people don’t know what to ask for, and they feel ignorant in classical stores. Mystery still surrounds the genre, and some snobbery too, I guess.
Digital Journal: As most classical listeners are older, why do young people generally veer away from classical?
Laura van Leest: Younger listeners are not generally opera lovers since that is quite a heavy genre. Your average youngster isn’t saying, “Let’s get that opera DVD.” But I see Russell Watson and Bocelli bought by younger people. One interesting group that is popular with the younger crowd is Bond. They are four sexily-dressed women playing classics to a pop background — all with a touch of edginess. Bond is definitely on the road upwards.
Digital Journal: How has music piracy on the Internet affected the classical recording industry, if at all?
Laura van Leest: At the moment, I don’t think it has affected classics. Classical buyers are different than others — they want something to take home, they want to read the liner notes, to hold something in their hands. Often, these consumers want CDs for collections, and they’re the sort of people who have a complete set of Britannica encyclopedias in their homes. These listeners are also fussy about sound quality; they demand perfect quality recordings, and usually have the money to spend on CDs or DVDs.
Digital Journal: What is the appeal of classical music?
Laura van Leest: Speaking generally, I would say that at one end of the spectrum, it is the highest form of musical accomplishment. And at the other end, it is a form of music that is wonderful for relaxing to and a calm backdrop to our stressful, modern-day lives.
Those who claim that they are not interested in classical music should wonder why they enjoy beautiful music accompanying commercials and the incredible effects of classical film soundtracks. We know without watching a movie what the current emotion should be just by the tensions and motifs used. As the late Frank Zappa once said, “All the good music has already been written by people with wigs.”
Digital Journal: What can classical fans anticipate this year from upcoming artists on your labels?
Laura van Leest: Our commitment is to sign excellence of all ages. While still releasing our back catalogue, which is crucial to our reputation, we’ll always find that balance between crossover and core, and I can tell you about one artist who will be the hot musician to watch. Hillary Hahn, who is 22, just signed with us. She is a German violinist who excels at playing Bach. Like most young musicians, she’s fashion-conscious and vibrant. Not only does she have that marketable appeal, but she’s serious about her music and artists like that are our future.
