Expect to see more of the Symphony of the Kootenays starting this year.

Last September, Hans Dekkers became the new president of the symphony's board, and he hopes to make classical music more accessible for the masses.

"We have to bring the Symphony closer to home," said Dekkers. "Classical music performances have collected this 'air' around them, of hush, of silence, of stiffness, of exclusivity. This has to go."

Dekkers said that all types of music can be beautiful.

If it has quality and if it touches you, then it's beautiful," he said.

"Sometimes when I am doing a workout on my rowing machine and it is repetitive, to listen to a stiff beat or some rap, that is something I like. But when I am lying in bed after being notified of the death of a dear friend, some very beautiful melodies of Bach can touch me then. The rap at that moment would drive me nuts, but the Bach would drive me nuts on the rowing machine."

Dekkers said he wants to bring classical music into "the walkways of life" and one way he hopes to achieve that is through the creation of a Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Currently a string quartet, the students had their first performance in December and they are available to perform for free at community events.

"It allows us to bring the symphony to where the community is, to offer free concerts, free exposure, free 'luster-ing up' of whatever event is taking place," said Dekkers.

The orchestra will be playing more recognizable music in its 2012/2013 season, he went on.

"In the programming of the concerts from this day onwards, we want to make sure there is a beautiful blend of music with melodies and names a lot of people will recognise, and some melodies that people may not recognise by name but when they hear it, they will recognise it," said Dekkers.

Comparing music to a restaurant, Dekkers said to some people, classical music is like being served foie gras. Instead, serving chicken breast will appeal to more people.

"I'm not saying you should turn the symphony into a hamburger," he added.

"I'm not talking about stripping the symphony of what it is and what the people who love the symphony have become accustomed to. But we can do a few things to let other people enjoy it as well so it is less exclusive."

The Symphony's April concert has been postponed till the fall. Pianist Koreen Kawalec will perform Chopin and Beethoven with the Symphony.

The Kawalec concert in Nelson will go ahead on April 21.

"Music has this ability to minister to us, to touch us, to lift us out of whatever we are in," said Dekkers.

"If you see a symphony with 30, 40, 50 or 60 musicians performing a piece as if they were one instrument, that is magnificent."