Sydney Symphony Orchestra patrons at the popular $30 Under 30s initiative. Image by Keith Saunders.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is easing some of the financial pressures facing young people wanting an exceptional night out with a number of fantastic youth orientated ticketing programs and offers.
Sydney based students and young people live in one of the world’s most expensive cities and must have felt at least once the financial pinch of juggling a healthy work and life balance.
With commitments alongside work and study, young people will generally be forced to sacrifice an arts and cultural experience in order to pay the rent.
Management at the long running national orchestra, regarded by many as Australia’s leading classical music company, are championing their Student Rush and the $30 for Under 30s programs, which young people are invited to join at any time.
What current students may not realise is that by signing up to the SSO Student Rush offers, they can enjoy selected concerts at the spectacular Sydney Opera House at the extremely competitive price of just $15* per ticket.
Running alongside this fantastic program is the $30 Under 30 initiative, which quite literally means that young people under the age of 30 can purchase tickets to selected SSO performances for just $30.
Signup for both programs is easily done online and then followed by regular emails with ticket offers. Students only need to provide a valid full-time Australian student ID while proof of age is required for those signing up for the $30 Under 30 program.
Former student Jayden Spillane, who now works at the SSO as a box office attendant said he took advantage of the Student Rush ticketing offers regularly while completing his studies.
‘It’s basically the price of a movie ticket, and you get to have an experience that you would not normally get for that amount of money,’ he said.
‘You and your friends who are students can join up and enjoy music at a price that anyone can afford. There are plenty of concerts throughout the year – I would say there are no reasons to not get involved.’
Spillane said that he fell in love with classical music during his adolescence when his father would take him along to concerts at the Sydney Opera House.
Yet as a full time student living out of home, he found it difficult to afford the cost of a full price ticket.
‘It was then I started getting involved with the Student Rush program, which allowed me to get along to a lot more performances with a few friends and it was affordable,’ he said.
Spillane said that the process of joining up to the SSO Student Rush and $30 Under 30 programs was simple, is done online, and did not take long at all.
Those signing up to the mailing list would be contacted via email notification, with discounted tickets offered on a first come, first serve basis and subject to availability.
‘Every so often, they [the SSO] will send a notification saying that there is a Student Rush offer going for a particular performance.’
‘The $30 Under 30 will appeal to people past the student stage but are still looking for the cheaper tickets,’ he said.
‘Usually its a few days before the performance so you have enough time to get a few people together to come along.’
Spillane said that the SSO Student Rush had also broadened his exposure to a wider variety of music featured within the orchestra’s program.
‘Student Rush concert offers were for ones that we would have not normally have had our eye on, he said.
‘Sometimes it would have drawn us to performances that we would have overlooked otherwise which was actually quite good.’
For more information about joining the Student Rush or $30 Under 30 programs, visit the Sydney Symphony Orchestra website.
*Booking fees may apply. Students must provide a valid full-time Australian student ID to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra box office. Proof of age required for $30 Under 30. Tickets only available on select concerts, will advertised via email notifications and must be purchased online. Available on a first come, first serve basis and are subject to availability. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
