Students whose expensive cultural tastes are stifled by less-than-extravagant budgets are now in luck.
On Sept. 25 the Philadelphia Orchestra will host a free concert to kick off its new student-membership program, eZseatU.
eZseatU is a subscription to a series of Philadelphia Orchestra concerts offered exclusively to college students.
Students will pay a one-time $25 membership fee and gain access to more than 100 concerts throughout the season, which runs from September to June, said Raina Fields, a spokeswoman for the Orchestra.
Normally, tickets for the Philadelphia Orchestra can cost anywhere from $35 to $115 for an individual concert.
The program is funded by the Neubauer Family Foundation, a long-time supporter of the Orchestra, Fields said.
The membership also allows for discounts at local restaurants for a pre- or post-concert meal, as well as admission to five College Night receptions with live music, food and socializing with musicians.
The kick-off concert begins at 7 p.m. in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. A reception in Commonwealth Plaza will follow, complete with food, entertainment and giveaways.
Students who enjoy the Orchestra but are put off by the high price say the program will be helpful.
"I don't really feel like paying $60 every time I go," said College sophomore Maggie Black.
Although this program is new for the Philadelphia Symphony, other local arts institutions, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, have offered similar student-discount programs for years.
PMA spokeswoman Elisabeth Flynn said the museum offers student memberships and has participated in programs like College Day on the Parkway - in which students can get free admission to area museums - since 1987.
Fields said the Orchestra has offered a student-rush program, which allows students to purchase tickets for $8 at the box office or for $10 online a few days before the concert, for several years.
She added that the eZseatU program aims to expand the Orchestra's student audience.
"We want to get students involved, give them the Philadelphia Orchestra experience and allow the music to affect them," she said. "Students in Philadelphia are lucky to have access to a world-class orchestra."
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