Vasily Petrenko: Why classical music is a force for regeneration

As pop festivals spring up everywhere, it's all too easy to think of the part that classical music plays in our cultural life as somehow peripheral. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. My experience as principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic tells me that England's orchestras are some of the most dynamic worldwide - in the quality of their musicianship, the range of their repertoire, and the scope and impact of their musical activities in the wider community.

I came to Liverpool last year, and an important reason I chose to was because the orchestra is part of a thriving national classical music scene - one that is not constrained by outmoded traditions, stuffiness or age limits. At just 30, I am the youngest principal conductor of one of England's leading eight publicly funded orchestras. And the way the orchestras have recently fashioned themselves as relevant and inclusive has made me proud to hold this position.

All eight of us - in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bournemouth - are enjoying a renaissance. At the turn of the last century, these orchestras received so-called stabilisation funding; an opportunity that was seized with both hands and which allowed them to become vigorous, innovative and accessible.

The city of Liverpool has also shown great confidence and belief in its orchestra and what we deliver to its cultural life by boosting its grant aid in recent years. And our musicians have responded to the challenge of securing a sustainable future for classical music. Changes to musicians' working practices and contracts of employment have provided flexibility and freedom, enabling them to share their skills.

Since being in Liverpool, I've enjoyed the rising level of interest in and enjoyment of classical music. Our audiences are growing - with 16 per cent growth on last year's box office figures and an exceptional 18 per cent growth over the past two years - and we're seeing more and more young people in the concert hall. We've worked hard to achieve that. But if we are to build on our successes - and encourage the music-lovers, performers and composers of the future to visit us, learn from us and let us help them be creative - we must constantly look for ways to demonstrate our relevance to our local communities, and engage young people in music at the earliest opportunity.

These eight orchestras are at a peak, but we are ready for more challenges; we want to build on our excellence, reach out to more people and become truly fit for the 21st century. So this week are publishing our vision for the next 10 years. My personal vision echoes our collective one.

Every year, the Liverpool Phil plays to 14,000 children in concerts for schools. One of our key aims of the eight orchestras is to extend this opportunity and provide every schoolchild in England with a free concert performance. For me, this is perhaps the most important of our aims. It will give us the responsible role of setting more young children on an early creative path. And it will give them access to orchestras that will allow them to make a choice about the relationship they want to have with music.

Our "Music for Life" residency in primary schools in the Kensington area of Liverpool, one of the most deprived wards in the country, is already making a real contribution to regeneration. And in a way, we see our children become regenerated too; working with top-class musicians, being let loose with musical instruments, and experiencing the power of live orchestral music produces more confident, inquisitive and passionate individuals.

As a group, we want to double the number of people involved in community music-making. Liverpool Phil's "Song for Home" project, offered through local Sure Start projects and delivered by our musicians, aims to give parents more confidence to sing with their toddlers. Not only does this help develop children's interest in music, but it can help families to bond and relax.

In projects like this, we are already reaching 40,000 people every year. I firmly believe that doubling this figure is achievable. By placing our musicians in the heart of the community, and providing access to music and music-making, I've seen for myself how music can help forge community renewal and engagement, enhance self-esteem and confidence, and create a culture of aspiration and attainment.

Liverpool is in the midst of one of the most exciting times in its history. The city celebrates its 800th birthday this year, and will be European Capital of Culture in 2008. The celebrations provide a focus for us to build our reputation as one of the world's great orchestras. Capitalising on our excellence, we will broaden our reach, explore new ways to share the performance experience, and nurture new talent. With the support of funding partners and sponsors, we will commission new compositions, leaving a legacy of music to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Now that I'm part of England's orchestral community, I want to play my part in building on our reputation as world leaders in orchestral excellence. I want to see orchestras and classical music enjoyed by everyone. So we must find new and innovative ways to engage people in the live music experience, in the concert hall and beyond, and bring them with us on a journey of imagination and discovery.

The writer is principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra