We all may have a certain image in our heads when it comes to attending the symphony: one of stuffy foyers, elegantly dressed elders and a sprawling orchestra primed to play classical (aka BORING) music. But is that the reality? Not according to the Oregon Symphony. Sure, when yours truly attended Impressions of the Sea: A Night of Debussy, about 70% of patrons were over the age of 75, and all very well dressed. But the venue for this particular performance—none other than the opulent Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, a mere eight blocks from campus—was anything but stuffy. And the music, along with the guest solo violinist, was nothing if not lively, rendering the night worthy of praise and recommendation. In short, if you’re looking for something to do on a free night, try the symphony and let the music move you.
“But the symphony is so boring!” I hear you say. “It’s too expensive!”
Au contraire, my friends, it is anything but. In order to convince you, fellow students, I have composed a few reasons why you, yes you, should attend a night at the symphony. First off: it’s only $10 per ticket—instead of upwards of $100—thanks to the Oregon Symphony’s generous student discount. In order to obtain said discount, apply ahead of time on their website, where you will be able to view all eligible concerts. It takes a few business days for them to confirm your student status, and once they do, you will receive an email with a discount code which you can use to book your tickets online with the reduced rate.
If you are feeling brave, you can call the box office and ask about where the best seating is. Before I went, I talked to the very helpful Dante, who suggested I sit in the lower mezzanine for the performance, specifically because of the violin soloist. The seat was valued at $105, and the view was incredible. I was able to see every single instrument in the game that night, including an oversized tuba sporting a domed mute, looking like THE Zendaya hat.
Now that you know how to secure the student discount (and are hopefully securing it right now!), let’s talk about the why of it all. Simply put, not all classical music is boring—I promise. The Oregon Symphony regularly puts on concerts inspired by popular film scores, performing everything from the music of Harry Potter to Pirates of the Caribbean. They also put on 80’s nights for all the nostalgia heads, and even the music of David Lynch for all the Twin Peaks fans out there, confirming there truly is something for everyone at the symphony. (There’s something to be said for the stuffy stuff, too.)
Another reason to class it up at the symphony: it makes for a great non-basic date night, girls, boys, or theys night out, or simply a night (or Sunday matinee) on the town by yourself (sooo cool and artsy of you). For less than the price of seeing a movie at Fox Tower, you can support experienced, local musicians at the top of their game and get #cultured.
The main point: you don’t have to know anything at all about classical music to go to the symphony, or to enjoy yourself while you’re there. The goal of these student discounts is to make the symphony more accessible to young people—and if you’re reading this, that (probably) means you! So put down the phone and put on that dressy ensemble you never get to wear, grab a program at the door, and let the music move you.
