Why Do Classical Musicians Look So Dour?

I check Apple Music for new releases from time to time, and I usually look at the Classical genre. This week, I was struck by the range of dour expressions on the faces of the musicians.

Matt Haimowitz looks like he’s desperately trying to smile, but forgot how.

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Bill Murray – he’s on a classical album – and Jan Vogler look like they’d rather be somewhere else. To be fair, Bill Murray looks a lot happier than he usually does.

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Richard Narroway looks like he’s holding the wrong instrument, and is trying to figure out how to explain this to the photographer.

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Benny Anderson, of ABBA fame, is questioning whether he really want’s to be part of this “classical music” thing.

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Mari Samuelson looks like she’s preparing for future mugshots; but with killer makeup, just in case.

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But Yo-Yo Ma saves the day, with that infectious smile of his, as if to say, “To hell with this, I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, and it’s not a big deal any more.”

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