The Decline of the Subscriber Base: A Study of the Philharmonia Orchestra Audience – Bonita Kolb (2001)

Author:  Bonita Kolb
Organisation/ Affiliation /Publisher: International Journal of Arts Management, Vol 3; No. 2, pp. 51-59
Source: Academic
Date: 2001

For many orchestras, the traditional subscriber base is declining. It is important for orchestras to understand why people become subscribers so that this market segment can be replaced. This exploratory research was designed to ascertain the age of first concert attendance and motivation for first concert attendance for two audience groups of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. The two groups were (1) subscribers, and (2) audience members who did not subscribe and had no other involvement with the orchestra. The responses to questions on age and motivation were compared in an attempt to understand why some individuals became subscribers while others attended concerts but did not become further involved with the orchestra. The hypothesis was that subscribers started to attend while young and that early exposure resulted in continued and frequent attendance throughout life.

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