ClassicalTrailersPR

Trombone to Trailer: Packaging Classical Assets for Press and Social (Lessons from CBSO/Yamada)

ccomings

2026-02-09

10 min read

A practical guide to packaging trailers, program notes and artist bios — learn from CBSO/Yamada to make classical assets shareable in 2026.

Hook: Your assets are scattered — here's how to turn a CBSO night with Yamada and Moore into shareable stories

If you promote classical concerts and feel buried under press requests, last-minute social edits, and an audience that expects vertical reels and accessible program notes, you’re not alone. The January 2026 media landscape rewards fast, polished, and platform-specific assets. This guide uses the CBSO/Kazuki Yamada concert that featured Peter Moore’s UK premiere of Dai Fujikura’s trombone concerto as a living case study: how to package trailers, program notes, and artist bios so your next classical event cuts through streaming-feed noise and reaches modern audiences.

Top takeaways up front (inverted pyramid)

Create 3 core asset groups: Trailer (long + short), Press Kit (high-res images, program notes, credits), and Social Clips (15s–60s vertical/horizontal).
Lead with the hook: For CBSO/Yamada, the hook was “trombone as protagonist” — use surprising moments to open reels.
Ship an accessibility package: Captions (SRT/VTT), audio description, and plain-language program notes increase reach and press pickup.
Embed metadata & clearance: Include composer, publisher, performance rights, and contact info in every file.
Plan a 6–8 week timeline with embargoed press previews, staggered social drops, and a ticket CTA baked into every asset.

Why the CBSO/Yamada performance is a perfect packaging lesson

The Birmingham concert combined three publicity ingredients every promoter wants: a modern premiere (Dai Fujikura’s Vast Ocean II), a singular soloist (Peter Moore — a trombone artist with national name recognition), and a conductor with profile (Kazuki Yamada). That mix creates immediate narrative hooks: premiere, personality, and sonic novelty. Your assets should frame those same narratives so editors, podcasters, and social audiences can tell the story fast.

“Trombone concertos don’t come around every day.” — Use rarity as a marketing lever.

2026 trends that should shape your asset pack

Short-form first: Platforms prioritize vertical short clips (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts). Your first trims should be 9:16 and under 45 seconds.
AI-accelerated editing: Expect to use AI for captioning, color grading presets, and rapid highlight selection — but always review for musical nuance. Consider on-demand editing tools and ephemeral AI workspaces to spin edits quickly.
Immersive audio: Dolby Atmos and spatial mixes are increasingly used in trailer microsites and press previews for immersive highlights (late 2025 saw more orchestras experimenting with Atmos mixes for premieres).
Accessibility = discoverability: Better transcripts and audio descriptions increase both SEO and press distribution reach in 2026.
User-generated layering: Encourage audience-created clips — stitchable moments improve reach and algorithmic favorability. Creator and audience strategies are increasingly important; see why creator opportunities have expanded in 2026.

Core asset list: What every classical press pack needs (and why)

Think of your press pack as a toolbox for journalists, podcasters, social editors, and ticket-buyers. For a CBSO-level premiere, assemble the following:

Main trailer (1–3 minutes) — full-HD/4K, horizontal 16:9. Purpose: long-form contextual preview for YouTube, website, and press pages.
Micro trailers (15s, 30s, 60s) — vertical 9:16 and square 1:1. Purpose: Reels, Shorts, TikTok, and in-email promos.
Audio highlight stems — 24-bit WAV or high-bitrate MP3 clips (15–90s) with and without audience sound. Purpose: radio, podcasts, editors.
High-res images — 300 dpi JPG/TIFF (portrait & landscape), close-ups (soloist, conductor), wide stage shots. Purpose: print and online editorial use.
Program notes (short + long) — 150-word capsule and 800–1200-word detailed notes with footnotes and composer context.
Artist bios (short, medium, long) — 30, 75, 250+ words for each featured artist (Peter Moore, Kazuki Yamada, composer Dai Fujikura).
Technical specs & credits — exact instrumentation, premiere status, publisher, copyrights, sync details, and PRS/PPL notes if relevant.
Captions & transcripts — SRT/VTT for all video; plain-text transcript for long interviews and program notes.
Contact & embargo info — single-file README with PR contact, embargo dates, and high-res download links.

File and naming conventions (practical)

Consistency speeds adoption. Use a short, descriptive schema that includes ensemble, conductor, soloist, year, and version. Example:

CBSO_Yamada_Moore_Fujikura_Trailer_2026_v1_1080p.mp4
CBSO_Yamada_Moore_Closeup1_300dpi.tif
CBSO_Yamada_Fujikura_ProgramNotes_Long_2026.pdf

Trailer crafting: From trombone solo to 60-second scroll-stopper

Trailers are the most reusable asset. Build them so clips can be repurposed without re-editing.

Story beats for a classical trailer (60–180s)

Open with an attention hook (0–5s) — a surprising sound or image. For the CBSO night: close-up breath and slide motion from Peter Moore, or a dramatic sonic swell from Fujikura’s opening.
State the event (5–12s) — concert title, date, venue. Use lower-thirds for clarity.
Context and narrative (12–60s) — one-sentence composer intro, why the premiere matters, conductor’s angle. Include a 10–15s playable highlight of the trombone concerto.
Social proof & authority (60–90s) — quick press quotes, audience shots, and conductor/soloist clips.
Call-to-action (final 5–10s) — ticket link, RSVP, or reminder CTA with QR code and short URL.

Technical trailer specs (practical checklist)

Resolution: 1920x1080 for 16:9; supply 4K where possible.
Vertical versions: 1080x1920 (9:16) and square 1080x1080 for feeds.
Codec: H.264 / H.265 for compressions. MP4 wrapper.
Audio: 24-bit WAV source; export web mixes at -14 LUFS (integrated) for online playback.
Subtitles: Burned-in for social preview + separate VTT/SRT files for accessibility.
Thumbnails: 1280x720 PNG with readable text; upload explicitly to YouTube/IG where possible.

Program notes & artist bios: Make them scan-friendly and shareable

Traditional program notes are dense. Modern audiences and editors want layered content: snack-sized context up front and deeper reading if they want it.

Program note structure (short + long)

Short (150 words): One-paragraph elevator pitch: composer’s headline (Vast Ocean II — UK premiere), why the piece matters, one line linking to the soloist’s significance.
Long (800–1,200 words): Composer background, compositional techniques (sonic textures in Fujikura’s writing), performance history, conductor’s interpretive notes, and listening guide (timestamps of key events in the piece for audio or video clips).

Artist bios: three lengths

Short (30 words): For tickers and captions. Example: “Peter Moore — trombone soloist; LSO principal; champion of new trombone repertoire.”
Medium (75 words): For program headers and website bios — career highlights, awards, notable premieres (BBC Young Musician 2008; Proms 2022 appearance).
Long (250+ words): For press kits and editorial use — craft a narrative that includes quotes, recent seasons, and links to recordings or interviews.

Repurposing is efficient — cut once, post everywhere with format-specific masters. Here’s a set you can create from a single trailer shoot.

Clip types & best practices

Hero Clip (45–60s): Vertical, with hook & CTA. Post on Reels/Shorts/TikTok.
Micro Hook (10–15s): Single sound moment (e.g., trombone slide) with text overlay: “A trombone that sounds like the ocean — see Jan 2026.”
Behind-the-scenes (15–30s): Warm human moments: soloist tuning, conductor gestures, stage chatter — great for Stories or ephemeral posts.
Interview Mic Clips (30–90s): Short quotes from Yamada or Moore about why they championed the piece — great for embed in press pages.

Distribution quick wins

Schedule vertical clips for peak hours on each platform; use native uploads rather than links to increase reach.
Pin the long trailer on YouTube and embed the 60s hero clip on the event page.
Make an email teaser (15s GIF) for mailing lists with ticket link and a clear CTA.
Use alt-text, captions, and full transcripts to improve search and ESL accessibility.

Rights, clearances and press legal (practical safeguards)

Classical performance assets involve layered rights: composer/publisher, performer, venue, and sometimes third-party recordings. Lock these down early.

Synchronization rights: Needed to pair music to video — clear with publisher or rights holder.
Performance and recording consent: Have artists sign release forms for audio/video usage in promos.
Venue permissions: Confirm filming rights and use of in-house camera crews.
Credits file: Ship a credits.txt with every pack listing composer, publisher, soloist, conductor, orchestra, date, venue, and PR contact.

Case study checklist: Building the CBSO/Yamada press pack (step-by-step)

Below is a practical checklist that mirrors how a modern promoter should have prepared the CBSO/Kazuki Yamada night for press and social.

Pre-concert (6–8 weeks out): Confirm permissions, set embargo windows, schedule recording/multicam setup, brief photographer and video crew on shot list (close-up slide shots for trombone, conductor close-ups, audience reactions).
During concert: Capture uninterrupted high-quality multitrack audio + multi-angle video. Record at least two dedicated mics for the trombone section and a stereo pair for the hall ambience.
Immediate post-concert (24–72 hours): Produce a 15s teaser and a 60s hero clip for socials. Release to press under embargo with a private link and a clear embargo expiration.
1–2 weeks after: Publish long trailer and full program notes; send full press kit (high-res images, long bios, transcripts) to media lists and partners.
Ongoing: Stagger additional content (BTS, interview cuts, audience reactions) across the 6–8 week campaign to maintain momentum and ticket conversions.

Sample contact & pitch template (for press outreach)

Use the following as an email lead for journalists and producers:

Subject: Embargoed: CBSO premiere — Dai Fujikura’s Vast Ocean II, with Peter Moore (UK premiere)

Dear [Name],

We’re pleased to offer an embargoed press preview of the CBSO performance led by Kazuki Yamada featuring the UK premiere of Dai Fujikura’s Vast Ocean II and trombonist Peter Moore. Please find a 60s trailer, high-res images, program notes, and artist bios in the secure folder below. Embargo lifts [date/time]. For interview access, stems, or a Dolby Atmos press preview, contact [PR name & number].

Measurement: What to track (KPIs that matter)

Trailer views & average view duration (watch time is how platforms rank content)
Click-through rate to tickets or event page
Press pickups and syndications (number of outlets using assets)
Social shares & user-generated reposts
Email open rates for press release + CTAs clicked

Accessibility & discoverability: Two sides of the same coin

In 2026, accessible assets are non-negotiable. Provide:

Captions and transcripts (auto-caption then human-verify for musical accuracy).
Audio descriptions for key visual moments (for video players on press pages).
Structured metadata in ALT tags, og:tags for social, and schema.org markup for event pages to boost SEO.

Final notes: Packaging mindset — think like an editor

Editors and social managers are time-poor. Give them ready-to-publish assets, multiple format choices, and a clear narrative lead. The CBSO/Yamada example shows the power of pairing a unique sonic event (a trombone concerto premiere) with a strong soloist and an authoritative conductor for maximum editorial angles. Your job as promoter is to surface those angles in thumbnails, clips, and short bios so stories write themselves. If you want editorial-first event design inspiration, see designing a gallery-gig as a related approach.

Actionable checklist: Ship a publish-ready press pack in 48 hours

Export a 60s hero clip (vertical & horizontal) and a 15s teaser — captions included.
Prepare three lengths of bios and two versions of program notes (short + long).
Package 6–8 high-res photos, credit list, and release forms into a zipped folder.
Write a one-paragraph pitch with embargo info, upload to a secure share (Dropbox/Google Drive), and send to top 20 press contacts.
Schedule social posts for the next two weeks using the clips and BTS stills.

Closing: Make your next premiere impossible to ignore

From the breathy slide of Peter Moore’s trombone to the textural currents of Dai Fujikura’s composition and Kazuki Yamada’s conducting, the CBSO night is a reminder that classical music still produces visually and sonically arresting moments — moments that, when packaged correctly, travel far beyond the hall. Use this guide to build a press and social kit that serves journalists, satisfies algorithms, and, most importantly, connects modern audiences to the music.

Ready to build your CBSO-calibre press pack? Download our free 48-hour press-pack checklist and trailer storyboard template, or book a 30-minute asset review with our team to convert your next concert into a multiplatform campaign.

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