Symphony: no price hike for Third Tier

The Seattle Symphony is giving some season-ticket holders a reprieve on a price increase after subscribers protested the change.

Season-ticket holders with Third Tier seats — the upper reaches of Benaroya Hall — saw prices grow for the second straight year when an increase was announced along with the upcoming symphony season late last month. For the main subscription series, the price swelled from $500 to $858 for box seats and $1,199 for center Third Tier seats — though the new price also included four additional concerts, from 18 to 22.

Several subscribers complained. Executive director Tom Philion reconsidered and decided to maintain prices for current subscribers on the Third Tier. They will see an increase if their series includes additional concerts this year, but the price per concert will remain the same, he said.

"These people are very important to us, and I heard them," Philion said. "We really want these people to renew their seats and come back to the symphony and be happy."

New subscribers will pay the higher rate. Depending on the series, prices for Third Tier subscription seats range from $120 to $1,199 while subscription prices around the hall range from $48 to $1,705.

The increase was part of a restructuring that lowered prices for some orchestra seats and increased the Third Tier prices to keep those seats on pace with the rest of the hall, Philion said. The Third Tier traditionally offered some of the least expensive seats.

Subscriber Steve Moseley was already unhappy with last year's price increase and fumed when he saw the increase for the upcoming season.

He prefers the Third Tier for the view of the orchestra, the acoustics and the relative privacy, and did not want to move down to seats on the main level.

"We feel attached to the seats," he said. "Maybe they're listening to reason at last."

Full season-subscription ticket details: 206-215-4747 or www.seattlesymphony.org.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com