The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra was founded in 1900, and since then, it has established itself as one of the most acclaimed orchestras in the world. In addition to its many performances, the Orchestra has also recorded a number of best-selling recordings and embarked on numerous national and international tours.

Despite its century-spanning history, the Orchestra has only had seven music directors. The current music director is Charles Dutoit, who debuted with the group in 1980 and also acts as the organization's chief conductor and artistic director.

2011-2012 Season: The Philadelphia Orchestra performs over 300 live concerts and other presentations a year, but its main season runs from September through May. In the summer, the Orchestra performs a number of concerts at the Mann Center and other Philadelphia-area venues, as well as some free neighborhood concerts. For more information on the concert schedule, click here.

Location: The Philadelphia Orchestra's primary concert venue is the Kimmel Center, located at 300 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, where there are two performance spaces. Verizon Hall, built especially for the Orchestra, has 2,500 seats. The Perelman Theater is a smaller venue meant for chamber music concerts and has 650 seats.

For more information on the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance venues, click here.

Tickets: You can purchase tickets for individual concerts online here, or by phone at 215-893-1833. There is an additional $6 service fee for using this method.

You may also visit the Kimmel Center Box Office in the Main Lobby of the Kimmel Center. The Box Office is open from 10 – 6 p.m. and there is a $2 service fee.

In the summer, you can buy tickets at the Mann Center Box Office in Fairmount Park (52nd and Parkside Ave.), which is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Both box offices sell tickets up to one half-hour after the beginning of any performance.

The Philadelphia Orchestra also has a number of subscriptions. For more info, click here.

For group ticket sales, click here.

College students can also take part in special programs and events and buy a discounted subscription. For more information, click here.

Children's Programs: The Philadelphia Orchestra plays midday introductory concerts for families, and they also offer the Eight Note Program, which offers a more interactive experience during family concerts. For more info, click here.

Parking & Directions: For more information on parking, directions, accommodations and more, visit the Kimmel Center's website.

Giving: There are several ways to donate to the Philadelphia Orchestra. For more information on giving, click here.