In the hope of breaking down century old barriers between an orchestra and its audience the performers will step up to the front to talk about the piece they are about to play, its history, how the rehearsal process has impacted on the finished piece and what it means to them. The orchestra’s conductors will also introduce themselves and the music.
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, led by Marin Alsop, is going to make their concerts less stodgy, but why has this taken so long? I’ve attended concerts where there was a talk about the music before the concert, but as a separate “event,” usually an hour before. These are generally sparsely attended. It makes sense to have a brief intro for the different works performed, as long as it isn’t too didactic.
Source: Classical musicians to break with tradition and speak to the audience