By SALLY HAYLES

Mozart may have been as popular as Taylor Swift in his day, but these days the audience for classical music is mostly a  much older demographic.

Over the past 20 years, classical music audiences have been mostly aged 45-plus, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). About 7 per cent of Australians aged 18 to 34 attended a classical concert in 2013-14, a number that has stayed consistently low since the 1990s.

But some classical music organisations are trying innovative approaches to attract younger audiences to their performances.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is experimenting with offering both cheaper tickets and unconventional concerts in their MUSO program, which aims to bring in 18-to-35-year-olds who might not otherwise be likely attend traditional concert hall performances.

Outdoor performances and orchestral versions of movie soundtracks have also proved successful in drawing younger crowds across Australia.

Listen to Sally Hayles' radio report (below) on the drive for a younger audience.