Progressive rock a bridge to classical?

After my last post, I got a comment from Dr. Andrew Colyer, who is involved with the IndrasNetMusic.com project, which aims to offer "progressive classical music for progressive rock fans." It looks interesting, so I've added it to the blogroll.

Dr. Colyer's project raises an interesting point: What kinds of popular music would lead a listener to become interested in classical music? When I was growing up, my Dad played Beethoven and Mozart on the stereo, but he wasn't interested in modern sounds. My interest in modern classical music began with Stravinsky, and as far as I can remember, my interest in Stravinsky stemmed from listening to Yes. "Yessongs," the band's landmark live album, includes a recording of the last few minutes of the "Firebird Suite." There's also a moment on the album where Jon Anderson sings a few notes without words. I later realized he was singing the opening notes for "The Rite of Spring." I only wish I had run across a rock band in the 1970s who would have led me to Philip Glass and Steve Reich.