making a living as

a classical musician

Last year, the newspaper Trouw interviewed Ilonka Kolthof, a former flutist, who candidly explained that she couldn’t make ends meet on her income from music. She now has a thriving career in communications. Her story sparked a lot of discussion. From a young age, Kolthof had worked hard to realize her dream: a life as a flutist. The many prizes she won in competitions gave her the confidence that this dream could become a reality.

People identified with her story and shared that they had been forced to give up their musical careers. Others, on the other hand, said they had indeed managed to build a good life as musicians. Kolthof herself also received many responses, especially from musicians who didn’t dare to talk openly about this.

A difficult topic to discuss

Not being able to make ends meet as a musician or singer is a taboo. It can give the impression that you’re not good enough at your craft. That’s precisely why Trouw wants to investigate the financial situation of classical musicians. How difficult is it to make a living from music? What challenges do musicians face? And what will it take to change that?

Please fill out the survey

To answer these questions, Trouw has created a survey for classical musicians and singers. The survey can be completed anonymously and will remain open throughout the month of October, through October 31.

Are you a classical musician or singer? Please complete the survey by November 1 and help bring this important topic into the open.

to the survey