In January 2009 I decided to see how many concerts I could see in New York for under $100. This column was the result. As a follow-up, here is a guide to cheap seats at classical institutions around the world. (Prepared with assistance from Will Robin.)
Print listings w/ info on ticket prices: Time Out NY, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, The Stranger (Seattle), Time Out London
Web listings: ionarts, San Francisco Classical Voice, Classical Voice of North Carolina, South Florida Classical Review, the Rambler’s New Music on a Shoestring (London)
Discounts, cheap seats, student prices:
New York:
Metropolitan Opera: $25 weekend tickets, $20 rush tickets
New York Philharmonic: $18 open rehearsals, $12.50 student rush tickets
Carnegie Hall: If you’re in the 20-40 age range, for $20 you can get a year-long membership in Carnegie’s Notables program, providing access to $20 tickets.
Juilliard sends out students to give free lunchtime concerts at 180 Maiden Lane downtown on most Tuesdays. Numerous free or cheap events are listed in the Juilliard calendar.
Frick Collection: All concerts $30/$25
Le Poisson Rouge: Most shows $10-20
Issue Project Room: Most shows $10/$8
New Amsterdam: Many cheap new-music events in calendar
92nd Street Y: Student10 tickets available for $10 and Under-35 tickets for $25
Peoples’ Symphony Concerts: Most single tickets $13
Bargemusic: $15-20 student tickets
BAM: $10 student rush, $10 senior rush
Symphony Space: $15-25 student and senior tickets
Orchestra of St. Luke’s: $10 student rush
New York Youth Symphony: $20 tickets, $10 if you show a student ID at the box office
Church-music listings via the New York Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
New Music listings at SoundArt
MOMA Summergarden (free)
Boston:
Boston Symphony: The $25 College Card gives you free tickets on many nights each season; the high-school card is only $10; and there are high-school open rehearsals.
Boston Lyric Opera: 50% off student tickets
Boston Philharmonic: $8 student and senior rush tickets
New England Conservatory: Free student performances
Celebrity Series: $20 rush tickets
Collage New Music: $15 single tickets, students free
Northeast summer festivals:
Caramoor: $15 tickets available for most concerts
Glimmerglass: 50% off student discount, $10 tickets for youths aged 6-18
Tanglewood: Lawn tickets from $17 (lawn free for children under 18)
Bard SummerScape: $5 student rush tickets
Norfolk has $15 tickets available for most concerts and a number of free performances
D.C. / Baltimore:
Kennedy Center (including the Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra): Discount program for ages 17-25; 50% off discount available to students, seniors, and other qualifying groups
Baltimore Symphony: For students, $10 tickets or a 5-for-$40 deal; $20 unreserved seats
Chicago:
Chicago Lyric Opera: $20 student tickets available by signing up
Chicago Opera Theater: $15 student tickets available by signing up
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: $10 student tickets
Chicago Opera Vanguard: $40-50 subscriptions, $30 for students
UChicago Presents: $5 or $10 student tickets
Grant Park: Free performances in the summer
Pick Staiger: Tickets under $10 for general public, $5 for students; sometimes free
Detroit / Ann Arbor:
The University Musical Society in Ann Arbor offers $10 rush tickets and other discounts.
The Detroit Symphony has a $25 student pass, giving unlimited access to all classical, pops, and jazz concerts each season.
Kansas City:
$25 student season pass at the Kansas City Symphony, $10 rush tickets.
Texas:
Dallas Symphony: $10-25 student rush tickets; also a $99 Impromptu deal, giving you unlimited access to a Thursday and Friday series throughout the season
Dallas Opera: $25 student tickets
Houston Symphony: $12 and 50% off student tickets
Houston Grand Opera: $12.50 NEXUS program
Texas Performing Arts in Austin: $10 student tickets
Fort Worth Opera: 50% off for students and military
Southern California:
LA Phil: $10-20 student and senior rush tickets; also, a five-for-$50 deal on the orchestra’s pathbreaking Green Umbrella new-music series
LA Opera: student rush tickets available, prices not given
UCLA Live: $15 student tickets
LA Chamber Orchestra: $10 student rush
Pacific Symphony: $10 student tickets
La Jolla Music Society: $10 rush student tickets
La Jolla Symphony: $15 student tickets
San Diego Symphony: $10 last-minute tickets
Orchestra Nova San Diego: $10 tickets for students and educators, free tickets for active military and family
Northern California (with thanks to Lisa Hirsch):
SF Symphony: $20 rush tickets
SF Opera: $25 student and senior rush tickets and other discounts
Cal Performances, Berkeley: 50% for students, other discounts
Generally free concerts at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford, Cal State East Bay, Mills Colllege, San Francisco State, and UC Berkeley
Old First Concerts: $15 general admission, $12 for students and seniors
Northwest:
Seattle Opera: $20 student rush tickets, $5 teen tickets, various other discounts
Seattle Symphony: $10 student tickets; free companion tickets for kids aged 8-18; various free ticket progams through community groups
Portland Opera: $10 rush tickets for students, seniors, military
Other American orchestras:
Cleveland: $10 student tickets
Philadelphia: Students can buy $8 rush tickets or a remarkable $25 pass, giving unlimited access to eighty or more concerts each season.
St. Louis: $10 student tickets or a 5-for-$55 deal
Nashville: $10 college-student tickets
New Jersey: $10 student tickets (or $25 for a full season pass); 30% off senior rush
Atlanta: $12 student tickets
Cincinnati: Various discounts, including $12 tickets for people aged 18-30
Phoenix: Various discounts, including a $30 season pass
Utah Symphony / Opera: Student tickets from $10
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: $10 tickets for age 20-39; $10 student rush; $3 off senior discount
Minnesota Orchestra: $12 student tickets; other discounts
Other American opera companies:
Kansas City Opera: $15 student tickets
Cincinnati Opera: $12 student rush
Canada:
Montreal Symphony: $25 student tickets; $15 for ages 15-30
Toronto Symphony: Their innovative tsoundcheck program offers $14 tickets to people aged 15-15, whether they are students or not.
U.K.:
LSO: Student tickets from £6 and a rewards program for bringing other students
Scottish Opera: £10 tickets for people under 26
Royal Scottish National Orchestra: £5 tickets under 26; anyone under 16 gets in free
London Philharmonic: Student tickets from £1-4; £8 for under 26
City of Birmingham Symphony: £5 student rush tickets; discount standby tickets also available
Hallé Orchestra: Student tickets for £3.o0
Royal Opera House at Covent Garden: Discounts available for students, people under 18, and others
English National Opera: Various student and under-30 discounts
Germany:
Berlin Philharmonic: Standing room tickets starting at 7€
Berlin Staatsoper: Various discounts
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Judgendclub discounts
Dresden Semperoper: 10€ student tickets, other offers
Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich): 10€ student tickets and other discounts
Bavarian Radio Symphony: 8€ student tickets
Bamberger Symphoniker: Discount tickets for under 18, students, and military
Rest of Europe:
Czech Philharmonic: 50% off for seniors and students
La Scala: Major discounts in the Under 30 program
Helsinki Philharmonic: 6€ student tickets and other discounts
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: 10€ rush tickets for under-28
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra: 80SEK student tickets
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: 20CHF tickets for under-25 and students