Ticket prices for symphony orchestra concerts have gone up much faster than the rate of inflation in recent decades. “What if what we’re talking about here is not a crisis in interest in classical music, but a crisis in what the public is willing to pay for that interest, orchestras nationally need to change the dialogue. Our ticket buyers are affluent, orchestras say. Some are, some aren’t. But the relevant question today is not what people are able to pay, but what they’re willing to pay. The answer isn’t more popular programming (though that’s a worthy subject on its own) or punchier adjectives in brochures. It just might be that cheaper tickets would do more to fill houses than an award-winning advertising campaign.”