Why are there five or six performances on the series, and usually only a single performance for each orchestra? Why not have more—or fewer?
The magical number of five orchestras each season is a careful balance between costs and market demand. First, the average symphony orchestra subscription in the United States just a few years ago was for 4.5 concerts. We suspect that a big reason for this is that more than five concerts would make the average price of a season subscription too expensive for the average season subscriber (particularly when you consider that the average subscriber household buys two subscriptions).
