Buying a Ticket
When to Go
Some concerts are only offered once, so you don't have any choice about when to go. But operas and big-city symphony concerts are performed more than once, so you can choose a date and time. This is completely up to you'trust your instincts. (Ask around about the character of the different audiences, to find out which performance might suit you best. The Saturday night audience can be quite different from the Sunday afternoon audience.)
Getting answers about a concert
Q: Where should I park?
Q: What about handicapped access?
Q: How long is the program?
Q: Will the performers sign autographs?
If the ticket office can't answer your questions about a concert, try calling the organization's Marketing Director. You may have to call a different number: the main office instead of the ticket office.
Marketing people are used to answering questions and explaining things. If Marketing can't answer your questions, ask to be referred to somebody who can.
Some organizations may even be able to give you a list of restaurants near the concert, so you can make your musical evening a night on the town.
If you can, choose a time when
you won't be exhausted.
you can get to the concert without having to rush.
you're likely to be in a receptive mood.
Where to Sit
Everybody's taste is different. Do you like to sit up close, where you can watch the musicians'faces and examine their shoes? Do you like to sit in the middle, where the sound is more blended together? Do you like to sit in the back, where you can get the big picture? Do you like to be way up in the top balcony, up near the ceiling, looking down on everyone? Or do heights make you nervous?
In some concert halls, the cheap seats have the best sound, because the music floats straight up to the balcony. Sometimes you can buy seats on the stage, or behind the stage, and sit very close to the musicians. Don't hesitate to ask the ticket seller's advice about where to sit. Sometimes they'll have a good suggestion for you.
By asking around, you can learn whether a theater has especially good seats to seek out, or especially bad seats to avoid.
I recommend that you try out different places to sit, and find out what you like best.
When to buy
Some concerts sell out quickly, so you have to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. But for most events, you can wait until concert night to buy your ticket. There are some disadvantages to waiting, though: you may have to stand in line, you may not have a good choice of seats, and you may not get a ticket at all.
If you're nervous about missing out, then buy your tickets early. On the other hand, if you're nervous about advance planning, then buy your tickets later.
How to buy
You can buy concert tickets in person, or purchase them over the phone, or order them by mail or fax.
When you buy the ticket in person, at the ticket office, you may have a chance to select your seat. Often the ticket seller will have a diagram of the concert hall or theater, to help you decide where to sit.
To order by phone, look for a phone number in the advertisement or brochure. This number may connect you to the organization's ticket office, or it may connect you to a ticket service that sells tickets to many different events.
Sometimes you can choose your seat over the phone, but sometimes they can only sell you "the best available seat at that price."This means that a computer, or some mystery person, will choose your seat for you from what is available.
Ticket services are convenient, because they have more than one outlet and they can be reached by phone, but you will pay extra for this convenience: ticket services make their profit by charging you fees. The fees can increase the cost of your concert by several dollars per ticket.
If you buy your tickets well in advance, you can order them by mail. Season brochures often have a reply form, on which you can mark the concerts you want to attend and the seat price you desire. Sometimes you can fax your order. Usually you can't pick your seat with this method, but you can specify a section of the theater.
If you buy your ticket in person, the salesperson will hand it to you. If you buy your ticket by phone or mail, the ticket will be mailed to you or held at the box office, where you can pick it up on concert night.
Refunds!
Make your selection carefully! Tickets are usually non-refundable.
What if you can't use your ticket?
Sometimes it does happen: your plans get disrupted, and you can't attend the concert. What do you do with your ticket?
Most tickets are non-refundable, so you probably won't get your money back. (It never hurts to ask, though.) If you are a subscriber, you might be able to exchange your ticket for another time. Call the box office to check their policy.
If you can't get a refund or an exchange, then you can
give your ticket to somebody.
sell it to somebody
call the box office and ask whether you can donate your ticket back
and take a tax deduction for the price of the ticket.
How much will it cost?
Ticket prices vary from zero to more than a hundred dollars.
Large theaters have more than one ticket price. In general, the seats get cheaper as they get farther from the stage. In some concert halls, the cheapest seats are the best place to listen, because the music floats beautifully up to the top balconies.
Concert brochures and advertisements often list ticket prices, or they'll give a number to call for more information.
Reserved and Unreserved Seats
Usually when you buy a ticket to a classical music concert, you buy a specific seat. Your ticket says where you will sit. This is called "reserved seating." Sometimes, though, your ticket does not specify where you are to sit. In that case, people arrive at the theater and choose their seats after being admitted. This is "unreserved seating" or "open seating". Be sure that you know which kind of ticket you are buying!
Subscriptions
Organizations that give more than one concert in a season usually encourage people to buy a package deal, a "subscription." It's similar to subscribing to a magazine: if you buy several concerts at once, you get a price break. Another advantage is that package deals go on sale before single tickets, so if you subscribe you can get better seats, and you can be sure to get a ticket to popular events. Subscribers often get special treatment, such as preferred seating for other events, special subscriber-only concerts, and so on.
Usually the season brochure offers several different package deals, for different wallets and different tastes. Each package is called a "series." Consult the brochure to see what choices are offered. If you have any questions -- or even the tiniest doubt -- call the number listed in the brochure. They want to sell you a subscription, so they're probably going to be helpful!
Some organizations let you design your own series. You pick a certain number of events from the season, choosing the concerts you want and the dates that are best for you.
When you subscribe, you choose your concerts far in advance. If you have a scheduling conflict when concert night arrives, many organizations will let you, the valued subscriber, exchange your ticket for another date.
Single Tickets
If you like to wait until the last minute to choose your concerts, or if you only want one concert, then you'll buy a "single ticket." These go on sale after the subscriptions, so you'll choose from the seats that subscribers didn't buy.
Of course many concerts are one-time-only events that are not part of any subscription series. In such cases, the only kinds of tickets available are single tickets.
Discounts and Rush Tickets
Many organizations offer discounts to senior citizens and to students (you'll need an I.D.) In some cases, low-priced "rush tickets" become available late on the day of the concert. This is a way of selling those last few unsold tickets by making them available at a discount. Sometimes rush tickets are only available to students; in other cases they are available to anybody who shows up. You have to come in person to buy rush tickets.
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