There are a lot of things that we work very hard at, and if we do them right they don’t attract too much attention.  One of those is our weekly eNews, in which we share  thoughts about upcoming concerts and offer special discounts.  Normally our only feedback comes from eagle-eye readers who flag typos, wrong dates, and other (hopefully rare) errors.  However, today we were lucky enough to stumble upon a nice blog post by Mary Ann Devine, formerly marketing and PR guru at the Academy of Vocal Arts.   In it she praised some of our efforts, and we’re thankful for that – I think I even saw a small “high five” moment between Miles and Brian right before they brought out a birthday cake for Box Office Manager Bradford Kochel.  Good job guys!

As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to seeing you at a concert soon.

Come October, there is an mix of excitement and anticipation in the air at 1616 Walnut Street, something akin to the pause just before running a marathon.  Watching the Phillies beat the Dodgers last night at Jose Pistola’s around the corner from the Kimmel Center with Miles, Brian, Brad, Sacha, and Jen (after a stunning performance by the always-sparkling Emerson Quartet), the annual shift in attitude was particularly pronounced.

What are we so excited about (besides the Phillies)?  Over the next 7 months, PCMS will present 65 concerts attended by nearly 25,000 people and facilitate some 50 educational outreach concerts, lectures, and master classes impacting thousands of young people in our region.

At the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS), our mission rings clear.  We believe that people from all walks of life should have access to the best classical music experiences that the world has to offer.

How can we guarantee this experience for you?  By providing a unique, affordable ticket policy:  $23 or less per ticket.

Join the PCMS family as we enter another exciting new season.  We look forward to seeing you at a concert soon!

Get an iPod Nano on October 23rd
That’s when violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos appears at the Kimmel Center for one of our most exciting concerts of the year.  Come to the concert, join our Young Friends and have a chance to walk out of the hall with a new Nano.  Simple as that!

To get your ticket, either shoot me an e-mail, give us a call in the Box Office (215-569-8080) or use your Unlimited Student Card at the door the night of the concert.

How to Get Unlimited Capogiro Gift Cards
We’ve teamed up with our favorite sweet spot in town, Capogiro Gelato, to make our new student offer even sweeter.  For the next two weeks, when you buy an Unlimited Student Pass you get a $5 gift card to Capogiro.  And as a bonus, if you refer a friend and they mention your name, you both get a $5 card.   This means you could rack up some serious gelato spending money, and get unlimited access to some of the best musical events in town all year for only $30.

Why Our Unlimited Pass Is the Best

If you’re a student and haven’t gotten an Unlimited Student Card yet, allow me to emphasize what an amazing program it is.  Here’s a recap of what you get, all for just $30:

• The ability to reserve a ticket for any concert in advance, the day of the concert or even at the door (subject to availability)
• Preferred seating.  We’ll always give you the best available seat.  No kicking you upstairs like all those other student rush programs.
• Special post-concert events throughout the season:  think craft beer tastings, locally roasted coffee, good stuff like that.
• Exciting giveaways at concerts throughout the year.
• Referral rewards, aka gelato on us!

To purchase your card today, reserve seats or get more information on any of our 65 concerts, simply call our Box Office or e-mail me directly at bpotter@pcmsconcerts.org.  I look forward to seeing you at a concert soon!

We’re happy to have One Village as a partner for a few reasons: they prefer things in small batches (so do we), they make a high quality product enjoyed by tens of thousands of people, and their mission is bigger than themselves.  The goal of One Village is “to roast premium coffee that also makes a difference.”  We couldn’t agree more with their approach:  local, focused on quality and service, and out to make a difference in people’s lives.

So, how will we work together?  Well, PCMS events at the American Philosophical Society and Independence Seaport Museum have always featured a coffee stand, offering a simple, and of course reasonable, treat at intermission.  Now that treat will include some of the best coffee around, and it’ll be fair trade and free trade to boot.  The cost remains $1/cup thanks to the support of One Village Coffee.

Please do your part and support our new partner.  I promise it’s enjoyable!  Online ordering is easy, and you can follow them on Twitter or sign up for their Email Newsletter with only a few clicks.

I look forward to announcing some other new partners soon!

While some of us miss the old PCMS logo (remember it?), we’re excited to finally be consistently branded now with the exception of the sticker on our office door.  Somehow, as an efficient nonprofit, we simply can’t justify spending the money to change that!