Put it this way, classical music may not be as popular as pop right now, but in 100 years all of the current Top 40 songs will be forgotten and the favorite classical pieces will remain in society's consciousness.
This doesn't mean that classical music awareness is adequate, though. In my opinion, music academies should stop discouraging composers of "traditional-sounding" classical music -- which is the kind that the wider public likes -- from learning the craft and getting into the business. If there were more successful and LIVING composers of classical music that people actually like, this would help spread awareness more than anything else. Dead composers are great, but for many people, there is an unmeasurable but positive psychological effect that comes from the feeling of being part of a "living tradition." For a living tradition, you need living composers.
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