ABSTRACT
This chapter reports on an exploratory study that sought to explore how new audience members respond to both familiar and novel musical experiences in the concert hall, and to question how familiarity with the repertoire performed might affect new audience member's concert experiences and enjoyment. While the research produces few answers to the questions, findings of research on this topic have potentially useful implications, both for increasing the understanding of the roles of familiarity and novelty in the enjoyment of music listening, and for the marketing and audience development strategies of orchestras and concert organisations. The lack of knowledge about the role of repertoire familiarity on new audience's experiences is important to note, as there is a prevailing idea that concert audiences are indeed often familiar with the music that they choose to see performed live. The chapter explores, a group of participants were all individuals, experiences and responses during and after this exposure to classical concert attendance.
