Crossover Classical

As a genre, Crossover Classical has come into its own in recent years through the commercial successes of musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Charlotte Church, Vanessa Mae and Josh Groban. These artists offer an alternate take on classical music, infusing it with touches of pop and rock as well as more disparate influences such as Appalachian folk tunes, African chants and Nordic fishing songs. This style of classical music generally appeals to a wider swath of the population, although purists may lament that it's a diluted and inferior version of the real thing. In any case, the popularity of Crossover Classical is enticing more young people to take a second look at the genre and maybe even pick up a violin or try opera singing. It certainly doesn't hurt that many of the most successful Crossover Classical artists have been marketed with the gloss and sex appeal usually reserved for pop stars.