This was originally published in 2020 and is presented here with minor edits.

Live music is a whole experience, held in high regard by those who love it and experience it frequently. The concert industry earns billions of dollars each year, with many of us patrons shelling out up to hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the best seats to huge arena tours for the biggest names in music, from classic-rock bands to larger-than-life pop stars. And while the spectacle and hearing the soundtracks to our lives played right in front of us by the musicians who created them is a thrill, the other side of the live-music spectrum is just as enjoyable — the symphony.

Supporting the local arts

As a music lover and someone who values the arts and cultural scene, having opportunities to see my local symphony—and even other arts-related events like festivals, theater, and more—is important to me. Buying a ticket to a performance and having dinner near the theater support the local economy, including the musicians, and help to ensure the arts scene survives for all of us to continue to enjoy.

Affordability

While I will gladly splurge on expensive tickets with some of the best seats in the theater, that’s not always practical. Tickets for my regional hometown symphony start as low as around $15, while a trip to the nearby Pittsburgh Symphony starts with only a few dollars more at $20—a small price to pay to see talented musicians play some of the most notable, influential works of music that have been entertaining audiences for hundreds of years.

The programming

While symphonies often feature works by famed long-dead composers, they also frequently highlight more modern big names and contemporary works. The holidays bring beloved Christmas music, of course, while famed film composers like John Williams are featured with screenings of movies like Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. Other contemporary musicians perform with symphonies frequently, most notably Ben Folds, who reinterprets his discography to be performed with a symphony to equally lovely and thrilling results.

Education

Frequent attendees and newcomers alike may appreciate going beyond the performance and understanding more about the composers and their work, and symphonies are delivering with pre-concert lectures. Additional information about the composer’s life and the world at the time helps put the piece in context and makes it more familiar before the musicians take the stage.

The experience

Most importantly, like any live music, it’s all about the whole experience, and at the symphony, it’s just as much visual as it is aural. Watching the musicians’ instruments move as they strike the very first note of the evening is a thrill, as is watching as different instruments chime in and do their part — and few pieces make this more evident and more enjoyable than Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.

Like any live music experience, the symphony can be exciting and delightful, even if you’re new to exploring classical music.