Bachtrack

New website shows the way to US classical concert-goers

Classical music website Bachtrack (www.bachtrack.com), started in the UK this year, is now launched in the US, starting with US listings of over 1,500 top concerts and operas. Bachtrack makes it easy for classical fans to find their favourite composers, works and performers, saying that ’Äúmany people don't go to concerts because they simply don't know what's on’Äù.

Bachtrack has the easiest and most comprehensive concert finder on the Internet covering top events, allowing users to browse its listings by composer, work, performer or orchestra, venue, city, type of work, date or any combination of these. The database now has over 5,000 listings including performances by the top orchestras and opera companies in the US and Europe.

’ÄúIf you're trying to find your favourite symphony or what concerts are on within an hour's drive from your home, standard search engines simply haven't been useful’Äù, says co-founder David Karlin. ’ÄúIt's too hard to wade through the results, and there's so much great music going on that people just don't get to hear about.’Äù Bachtrack is convinced that it will increase audiences by showing classical music and opera fans what's on in a way and at a time that's convenient to them.

Bachtrack launched the US version of its site this week, with events from major US orchestras and opera houses (Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia and others). Listings on the site are free, and Bachtrack is beginning to attract concert promoters of all types in the US to input listings. The site also features a special section to attract kids into classical music with listings of concerts and events for kids and teens.

As well as finding concerts, site visitors can see venues on a map, find recommended CDs of many of the works, ’ÄúListen’Äù buttons to play clips from even more, and biographies and pictures of an increasing number of the performers.