If you live in or near a city with a symphony orchestra or philharmonic, you don't have to be a mere audience member; you can get far more involved. For example, more and more orchestras offer pre-concert talks to their audiences — usually free, often short (30 to 45 minutes), and incredibly interesting.

Most orchestras also offer subscription plans, which give you the chance to enjoy live classical music for much less money than you'd pay to hear all the concerts individually. Depending on the size of the orchestra and concert spaces, a subscription can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 concerts, spread out between September and June. Often you can choose how many concerts — and which ones — you want to hear.

Subscription series have another advantage: They're often conceived as a whole, meaning that the orchestra has determined that these concerts go together well. Some series have a theme: Music from Far Away Lands, for example, or Music about Food, or Music to Nuzzle By.

Orchestras and other concert series usually plan their seasons so that subscribers constantly get introduced to a variety of interesting music. These organizations know that, by subscribing to a series, you're placing your trust in their ability to help you discover music afresh, year after year.