One area related to classical music that putatively uses focus
groups is the gaggle of mostly commercial, but also some non-commercial
"classical" radio stations.  I hadn't even conceived of such a thing
a decade or so ago, but if someone had suggested it, I would have said
"forget it; I'll draw up a list of "classical" pieces for you that would
be acceptable to mostly middle-aged and older potential listeners, and
the list would not vary much from what is heard on such outlets.  The
classical music recording industry, at least as far as publicly-traded
conglomrerates are concerned, has tunnel-vision in this regard...churning
out "Best of.." collections, and re-compilations, or standard repertoire
by Lang Langs of this world (not necessarily a dig; I was impressed by
his impromptu encore at the Mostly Mozart concert on PBS).  It's my
impression that such stations do a focus group ONCE, get the approvals
they expected beforehand, and then transfer the "appropriate" music to
a computer hard-drive, never to be allowed to change except for some
additional obscure and forgotten 18th Century pieces by obscure and
forgotten 18th Century composers (who is this Pla person anyway?).
Has anyone out there been involved in focus group activity by the likes
of WQXR, WNYC, KDFC, WGMS, WCRB et al?  I know I haven't and I've never
seen an ad in the program booklet at any concert asking for participants.

Laurence Glavin