Why does it cost a small fortune to go to concerts in the U.S?

[AB68]

I am going to Chicago and Boston soon, and was planning to attend some symphonic concerts. But when I was trying to book tickets I was shocked to find out it was nearly $200 for one ticket. The 4 concerts me and my friend was planning on going to would cost around $1500. That is insane! Why is it so expensive?
In Germany I can go to a concert and pay 20 Euro for good seats.
I decided to skip 2 of the 4 concerts, which is a disapointment, but I just cannot  justify spending that much money on concert tickets.
I guess classical music is a thing for rich people only in the U.S?

[MishaK]

Well, apart from student tickets, I don't know where in Germany you can get good seats for 20EUR. I think price is a function of the wealth of the local community, the caliber of the orchestra and the fame of the soloist or conductor. I have been just as astounded by the prices they want at the Philharmonie in Berlin or Köln as anywhere in the US. In Germany, a lot seems to be a function of the wealth of the city. Seats for concerts in Frankfurt with its banks and law firms seem to be disproportionately expensive even though neither resident orchestra is anything special. I don't know about Boston, but here in Chicago, the cheapest seats tend to be $16-30. Granted those are on the gallery, but it's not that big of a hall and the sound there is actually better than on the upper balcony or the rear of the main floor, even if the view is slightly vertiginous. I am not sure how you would manage to spend $1500 for two to go to four concerts, when I have a five concert subscription series with excellent seats for two for half that amount. What concerts are you thinking of attending in Chicago?

That being said, opera these days is so expensive that I hardly go. The Met, in particular, is ridiculous and their productions aren't even that great.

[AB68]

In Hamburg the cheapest tickets are 12 Euros, and the most expensive ones are under 50. The orchestra is the NDR Symphony, one of the best orchestras in Germany.
Also opera tickets are cheap i Germany. I Köln for instance, the most expensive tickets are 50 Euros.
The concerts I wanted to go to in Chicago are with Haitink, I don't know if those concerts are more expensive? Seems odd that prices vary after who the conductor is, so I guess that is not tha case.
In Boston prices were slightly lower, but not much.
I guess I was shocked because I am not used to prices at that level to go to concerts or opera.
I agree, tickets to Berliner Philharmoniker has become more expensive, but  nowhere near the level in Chicago.

[bhodges]

My experience in New York is that affordable tickets are available for almost anything, even the Met these days.  For example, at Carnegie Hall, I usually prefer to sit in the balcony which has much better sound, and those are the least expensive tickets in the house.  At the Met, last fall I went to Madama Butterfly and sat in the very last row of the balcony -- for $15 -- and although it was quite, quite far away (binoculars were a must) the sound was excellent.

I'm surprised there aren't cheaper tickets available for the Chicago concerts (but I don't know the hall there).  Is it possible that the concert is coming up so soon that only expensive tickets remain?  I'm guessing that since Haitink is so popular, any cheaper tickets probably sold out months ago. 

--Bruce

[MishaK]

In Hamburg the cheapest tickets are 12 Euros, and the most expensive ones are under 50. The orchestra is the NDR Symphony, one of the best orchestras in Germany.

In my experience, for some strange reason, subscription concerts for the German radio symphonies are often cheaper. I don't know why, but it's a blessing.

Also opera tickets are cheap i Germany. I Köln for instance, the most expensive tickets are 50 Euros.

I paid an arm and a leg to hear Hilary Hahn with ASMiF/Marriner at the Philharmonie in Köln. Tickets for big-name artitst like Kissin or Mutter even in Germany are obscenely expensive. The Easter Festtage in Berlin are very expensive. So even in Germany it is highly dependent on who is playing and what the occasion is.

The concerts I wanted to go to in Chicago are with Haitink, I don't know if those concerts are more expensive? Seems odd that prices vary after who the conductor is, so I guess that is not tha case.

Yes, they do vary by the conductor. Haitink commands higher ticket prices than a no-name conductor. The CSO has three or four pricing schemes for Orchestra Hall depending on how special of an event they think it is and how sure they are that it will sell. It's really no different in Europe these days.

A quick glance at the CSO website shows the cheapest tickets for Haitink's Bruckner 7th at $19 on the gallery. As I said, this seems far away, but the sound is great up there. Sonically, these are excellent seats and far better than the upper balcony which goes for $31-50. Even on the main floor you can find good seats for $35, so I don't quite understand what you're whining about. At the current exchange rate that the Euro commands, this should be very affordable for you if you're coming from Germany. My favorite seats are actually on the terrace, which goes for $50-72. The sound is fine, so long as you don't sit on top of the tuba, and it's the best place to watch the conductor from the same perspective as an orchestra member. Student tickets are $10, BTW. You should come to this concert. Given the chemistry between the orchestra and Haitink, I am certain this will be a very special evening. My wife and I will be going to the Tuesday performance.

I agree, tickets to Berliner Philharmoniker has become more expensive, but  nowhere near the level in Chicago.

Depends on the event. A regular subscription concert with a not too famous conductor is not expensive. Something like a new year's eve gala is ridiculously expensive. When the BPO came to Frankfurt, I think the cheapest seats were EUR45 and those were truly crappy seats in the very back of the acoustically uneven Alte Oper. You had to pay at least 65 to get decent sound. And that particular concert had only Bruckner 9 on the program! When they visit Carnegie in NY, the BPO's concerts are among the most expensive of the entire season.

[AB68]

That is very strange, because when I tried to book, there were only two prices available, $115 and $199.
This was not on CSO's own website, I don't know if that has something to do with it. I will check CSO's website as well.
Some of the reason why tickets are generally much cheaper in Germany is that many orchestras and opera houses are heavily subsidiced, because the philosophy is that everyone should be able to experience music regardless of their income.
And that is part of the reason why the German people in general are more interested in music than most other places, except Russia perhaps.

[MishaK]

That is very strange, because when I tried to book, there were only two prices available, $115 and $199.
This was not on CSO's own website, I don't know if that has something to do with it. I will check CSO's website as well.

Try www.cso.org You were probably trying to get seats for a nearly sold out concert where the only remaining seats were the most expensive box seats. You should try to book through their site, as it will tell you what seating areas are available and there is a neat flash animation that will show you what the view is like from the seat you have selected. Saturday evening is nearly sold out, but the same program is being performed on Thursday, Friday and the following Tuesday. There are still tickets in most categories for Thursday and Tuesday. Friday is limited. If you have to go on Saturday, get an early dinner and go to Symphony Center around 1 1/2 to 2hrs before the concert and wait in line. They start selling returned tickets as they come in around that time and you are bound to get one if you're patient and get in line early.

Some of the reason why tickets are generally much cheaper in Germany is that many orchestras and opera houses are heavily subsidiced, because the philosophy is that everyone should be able to experience music regardless of their income.

I know that. Here in the US, private and corporate donations take the place of public subsidies. The prices really aren't very different across the Atlantic. I know. I go to concerts in Germany and the US every year.

And that is part of the reason why the German people in general are more interested in music than most other places, except Russia perhaps.

That's just BS. The older generation and more educated people yes. But general public musical education in Germany is truly lousy these days and it shows in concert attendance. I got my Abitur in 1994 and it was lousy then. You could count the number of musically interested kids in my class on the fingers of one hand. And this was the best school in town. There are cheap student tickets available for all major concert venues in the US and I regularly see young crowds making use of these opportunities. It really isn't very different on either side of the Atlantic these days any more. It's all the same globalized culture.

[Siedler]

I am going to Chicago and Boston soon, and was planning to attend some symphonic concerts. But when I was trying to book tickets I was shocked to find out it was nearly $200 for one ticket. The 4 concerts me and my friend was planning on going to would cost around $1500. That is insane! Why is it so expensive?
In Germany I can go to a concert and pay 20 Euro for good seats.
I decided to skip 2 of the 4 concerts, which is a disapointment, but I just cannot  justify spending that much money on concert tickets.
I guess classical music is a thing for rich people only in the U.S?

Wow! That is indeed insane! Here the concert tickets for Lahti Symphony concerts cost around 20 euros (for unemployed and students it's only 6).
On the other hand, tickets for Cecilia Bartoli's concert cost almost 200 euros too. Way too expensive (plus the concert is at infamous Finlandia Hall in Helsinki which has horrible acoustics).

[AB68]

Wow! That is indeed insane! Here the concert tickets for Lahti Symphony concerts cost around 20 euros (for unemployed and students it's only 6).
On the other hand, tickets for Cecilia Bartoli's concert cost almost 200 euros too. Way too expensive (plus the concert is at infamous Finlandia Hall in Helsinki which has horrible acoustics).

I don't know why anyone would pay 200 Euros to hear Cecilia Bartoli 

[MishaK]

Wow! That is indeed insane! Here the concert tickets for Lahti Symphony concerts cost around 20 euros (for unemployed and students it's only 6).

As we've established, AB was trying to get the most expensive seats for a nearly sold out concert. Tickets for that particular concert start at $19, which is nowhere near insane.

[oyasumi]

Most of the concerts I go to are free - student performances, non profit orchestras, or other groups or soloists that just want to perform. The lack of price doesn't always mean a lack of quality.

[mahlertitan]

I have no idea, probably because they get paid alot! So, they need to charge audience alot of money to keep up the expenses. I have a special student discount that allows me to go to any concerts by Seattle Symphony for 10 dollars per concert, and i get to pick the seat too.

[hornteacher]

I have no idea, probably because they get paid alot! So, they need to charge audience alot of money to keep up the expenses. I have a special student discount that allows me to go to any concerts by Seattle Symphony for 10 dollars per concert, and i get to pick the seat too.

If by "they" you mean the members of the orchestra get paid a lot, that's not the case.  My teacher's salary is actually higher (and trust me it's small).

If by "they" you mean the guest artists get paid a lot, in many cases you are correct, and that indeed might be driving the cost of tickets up.

[The Emperor]

Jeez that's a lot of money.
I just bought a ticket yesterday to see rachmaninoff's piano concerto nº2/ Mahler first symphony for 5 euros! the price was 10 € but i had a discount cuz i'm under 30. That was pretty cool. A good way to encorage young people to see concerts.
Symphonic Orchestra of the Conservatoire of Viena and Roland Batik on the piano.
Don't know if they are good, but still it's a pretty cheap ticket, so it's fine by me!

[Bogey]

I am fortunate enough to know a number of people that have some type of connection with the symphony here in Denver and able to get my tickets from them.  Without these folks I would rarely be able to afford a decent seat ($50-$75) and would have to opt to sit high and behind the symphony....in spite of the fact that half to two-thirds of the decent seats are usually empty anyways.  In short, like in sports venues, the massess have been priced out of being able to purchase decent seats on a regular basis.

[Bunny]

I have no idea, probably because they get paid alot! So, they need to charge audience alot of money to keep up the expenses. I have a special student discount that allows me to go to any concerts by Seattle Symphony for 10 dollars per concert, and i get to pick the seat too.

Some orchestras are paid quite a bit.  The Berlin Philharmonic is probably the highest salaried orchestra in the world, but the NYPO, the CSO, the BSO are not far behind.  Probably the thing that drives the price up the most in the USA is the poor funding for the arts.  Compare prices for theater tickets on Broadway and the West End in London.  In London the tickets are much more reasonably priced because the theater is generously funded by the taxpayers.  In the USA, theater is a private enterprise, and each show has to make a profit to stay open.  The costs to mount shows have risen dramatically, but the size of the audience you can fit into a theater is constant.  Ergo, price per ticket has climbed.  It's pretty much the same for all live concerts.  However, compare the price of great tickets to see the NYPO, the Met Opera, the Berliners or Wiener P in NY on tour to the price of a ticket for a Rolling Stones concert or a Madonna concert and you realize that the symphony orchestra tickets are really proportionately low.  $100 to $150 for the best seats to hear the best orchestras in the world is a bargain compared to $500 -$800 for the hit musical on Broadway, or more for headline stars like Madonna.  $100 will barely get you into the nosebleed section of a sports arena when a Rock group is headlining, and there are no student discounts offered.

[Bogey]

Some orchestras are paid quite a bit.  The Berlin Philharmonic is probably the highest salaried orchestra in the world, but the NYPO, the CSO, the BSO are not far behind....

Please excuse the cropping of your quote Bunny, but was curious if you knew if these orchestras always sell out, no matter what pieces they are performing?

[Bunny]

Please excuse the cropping of your quote Bunny, but was curious if you knew if these orchestras always sell out, no matter what pieces they are performing?

I live in NYC and these orchestras regularly come to Carnegie Hall where the tickets go for high prices.  The BP, the WP, the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the major American Orchestras (SFSO, BSO, CSO, PO) almost always are heavily subscribed!  So are the Baroque ensembles (Les Talens Lyriques, Les Arts Florissants, the English Concert, Les Violons du Roy, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Veneziano) and the individual artists (Angela Hewitt, Krystian Zimmermann, Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, et al.)  I have not yet arrived at one of these concerts where I haven't seen people standing outside trying to buy tickets from anyone willing to sell one.  I don't go to the NYPO as often because I hate Avery-Fisher hall (ugly with poor accoustics).  The best seats at the opera (boxes are heavily subscribed by powerful organizations and wealthy patrons) are also heavily subscribed.  Nosebleed seats are always available and student discounts are made available at a certain point for seats not sold.

What I have noticed is that the programs always include popular pieces with the more experimental pieces.  On rare occasion, if the experimental piece is in the first half of the program, you will see people arrive after the intermission.  At a SFSO Rachmaninoff/Shostakovich program, many of the people who had come for the 2nd piano concerto didn't stay for the Shosta 15th which was a big mistake.  However, it was a weeknight and the concert was a very long program after all the encores (it was broadcast for radio and ran a bit longer than usual.)  It really varies.  When I heard the CSO doing Schoenberg before the intermission and Mahler's 5th after, every seat was taken.  Full house and everyone stayed for everything. 

Just remembered: I had subscribed for the Takásc Quartet and was just told that I would be getting seats in the Balcony rather than in the orchestra where I had thought to be sitting.  Patrons have first claim on those more desirable seats. Maybe I'll have to increase my contributions in future.

[Bogey]

Thank you for that Bunny.

[Bunny]

Thank you for that Bunny.

You're welcome.  I only hope I didn't bore you with more information than you wanted.