From ‘Swifties’ to ‘Trekkies’, ‘Potterheads’ to ‘Twihards’, fans of popular culture often proclaim their fandom with pride. But the idea of fandom still seems to make the classical music world uncomfortable. 

In this episode, we ask: what’s so bad about being a fan of classical music?! 

We take a deep dive into the history of the fandom to find out where the word ‘fan’ comes from. We explore how the popular music industry, Beatlemania and television made it controversial to be a fan of classical music. And we investigate how fans connected with celebrities in an age before social media.

From Leonard Bernstein's archive, we discuss letters from a young woman who lost her fiancé in the Holocaust, a teenager who is determined to prove he’s different from Bernstein’s other fans, and a secretary who felt rather embarrassed about her decision to write.

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Producers: Rowan Bishop and Kate Guthrie

Hosts: Flora Willson and Kate Guthrie

With thanks to: Cheryl Melody Baskin, Michael Ellison, Cassandra Fenton, Mark Keedwell, Melanie Shaffer, Karen Skinazi, Chuck Talley and Justin Williams.

Funded by: the Arts and Humanities Research Council.