Among underground crypts and gothic tombstones surrounded by the glittering sights of summer fireflies, NYC audiences are experiencing the lasting power of classical music. The musical journey into darkness was founded by Andrew Ousley, who curated a classical music series, Death of Classical, which generally touches upon themes of demise, devotion, and grief.
Ousley was inspired when he visited The Church of Intercession and stepped into the 110-year-old colossal Episcopal sanctuary’s small underground crypt. With curved arches and a haunting serenity, Ousley found himself mesmerized, saying, “Hearing immediately the bloom of the sound when I walked down the steps was powerful… I had found a place with naturally unique acoustics to experience music.” And in the darkness was born Ousley’s musical series, Death of Classical.
For Ousley, “Many interactions are removed from the shared aspect of life today, and although they are very effective, there is a hunger for a truly felt in-person experience.” Death of Classical was born from a desire to create a new way of engaging with classical music that attracted a new audience, one who “usually feels intimidated by the genre, especially in a condescending atmosphere,” says Ousley.
The challenge of transporting a Yamaha piano down the narrow staircase of the crypt, carrying the musical instrument on its side, was a memorable moment for Ousley, who said, “the reverberation of the sound in a visceral setting was right to the bone.” This challenge was well worth the reward, leading to the musical series in the vaulted crypt, which can accommodate 45 guests at a time, inaugurated by Conrad Tao, a 21-year-old newcomer. Tao’s performance featured his score about grief and a piece by David Lang. Each event in the Death of Classical series generally sells out instantly, proving its ability to attract an audience ready for an intimate musical moment through a stimulating experience.
Success for Ousley’s musical series continued to spread, with word-of-mouth reaching Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. This resting place emailed Ousley back in 2018 regarding a potential collaboration involving its unused, long tunnel of catacombs.
Around this time, Ousley officially dubbed his musical series Death of Classical, taking the series to the 478-acre Brooklyn cemetery’s haunting catacombs. Ousley remarked that his choice for the musical series’ names was inspired by “classical music’s obsession with its imminent demise, which is ridiculous because this music has always been timeless… always responds to the times while it stays immortal.”
Ousley’s connection with this musical genre stems from listening to Maria Callas with his now-deceased opera singer mother. While performing on a cruise ship and grieving his mother’s death through her music, Ousley created a personal way of suffering through the sonic experience, developing “a way of understanding the world through the classics and decided to share it with the world.”
These quickly sold-out events are generally preceded by a drinks hour, often included in the price of an affordable ticket. This helps prove that “anyone can meet and mingle with those sharing the same intimate musical moment,” says Ousley.
