In Thursday’s (8/2) Post-Bulletin (Rochester, Minnesota), Tom Weber writes, “When Jeffrey Amundson looked around at people in the seats at Rochester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale concerts, he noticed something missing: families. ‘A family of four was looking at $80 to $90 to go to a concert,’ said Amundson, executive director of the orchestra. ‘We didn’t see a lot of families in the audience.’ What Amundson heard in the community confirmed his suspicions. … Amundson and the orchestra’s board of directors have taken an unusual step in what are tough times, economically, for arts organizations: They’re lowering tickets prices for the upcoming 2012-2013 season. The top ticket price, category A, remains $28. But the so-called B category has dropped from $24 to $18, and tickets for students of all ages—including, for example, adults who have returned to school, and medical students—has dropped from $14 to $5. … ‘Ticket sales are only 25 percent of our budget,’ Amundson said. ‘So we know a change is not going to have a major effect. In fact, if we can bring in 120 more people per concert with these lower prices, we’d see an increase in revenue.’ The orchestra’s six-concert season opens Oct. 6.”
Posted August 2, 2012
