Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will try something new this fall to build its audience — monthly memberships that allow patrons to attend as many concerts as they wish.
The memberships will cost just $5 a month.
While the best seats still will be reserved for subscribers and single-ticket sales, 80 percent of the seats at each concert will available for members on a first-come, first-served basis.
Minnesota Public Radio reports (http://bit.ly/HdBO7o) that traditional subscriptions for a large block of concerts have become a harder sell over the years, particularly for younger audiences.
Orchestra spokeswoman Jessica Etten says the musicians and staff want to lower all the barriers to experiencing the SPCO.
No other major orchestra has tried such memberships, Etten says, but it has been successful at some theater companies.