Young pianist plays key role in Chopin celebration

3/12/2010 04:08:00 PM

NEW YORK – To celebrate the 200th birthday of Frederic Chopin, Decca Records and Deutsche Grammophon are putting 21st-century marketing to work.

The labels are implementing a social media-based program to promote their catalog of the Romantic master's compositions, including "Chopin Complete Waltzes" by promising newcomer Alice Sara Ott. The promotional campaign targets amateur classical musicians and newcomers to the genre.

The centerpiece is a robust microsite, "200 Chopins," that will launch April 1. It will stream 200 Chopin albums for free, allowing visitors to explore his catalog of piano-based compositions as interpreted by Decca artists, create playlists and vote on their favorite recordings. Many of the performances were previously unavailable, making the experience compelling for experts as well as novices.

"Someone unfamiliar with classical might not know who Chopin is, but they can visit the site and privately make their choice if they like it or not," Universal Classical associate director Joseph Oerke said. "And the very knowledgeable will be able to, say, compare different recordings of the Nocturnes."

Amateur pianists can also demonstrate their chops in a video contest that launched March 8 on Ott's Facebook page. Contestants can upload a video of themselves playing any Chopin piece. Ott will select the best performer, who will win two tickets to Germany to watch the 21-year-old virtuoso perform as well as play alongside her.

The label plans an aggressive campaign promoting the program, including Facebook ads targeting people who have shown an interest in classical music and online radio spots aimed at those already consuming music through their computers.

Oerke said that album sales are an important measure of success for the program, but engagement is the overall goal. "There's a large population of young people who either go to music school or take lessons and may not be able to afford to collect albums," he said. "With a 100-year history and this vast catalog, we see ourselves as a resource."