He added: "That's largely because subscription tickets for these performances were sold about a year ago.

They take subscription tickets every winter for all the concerts, the Musikverein, anything you can name.

During the 1995-96 season, the orchestra sold only $30,000 in subscription tickets, the meat and potatoes for financially stable orchestras.

And Carnegie is not as dependent on selling subscription tickets as most major orchestras.

People rush from the office to go to a thing that their wives have bought them subscription tickets for.

The National Symphony is competing with the world's greatest orchestras and that makes it harder to sell subscription tickets.

The subscription tickets were also issued at a reduced rate, in order to attract regular patrons.

And, as with many holders of subscription tickets, he doesn't use them all.

The $10 indication on your ticket accounts for the value of each subscription ticket to us.

The season runs through Dec. 16, and subscription tickets go on sale on June 18.