The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has long been an attraction for residents and tourists alike, but many Chicago college students have yet to experience it. On Saturday, April 1, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra hosted “College Night” with $15 student tickets. Students also had the opportunity to attend a pre-concert reception with free pizza and a Q&A session with Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Miles Maner.

Maner is in his ninth season with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has been a professor at the DePaul University School of Music for eight years. Maner’s Q&A was a discussion about the performance and how he transformed his passion into a career.

“Human spirit can find a way to do what it wants to do. I had a really easy upbringing so I’m not going to write a book because it’s just boring,” Maner said during the Q&A. “I went to an okay school, lived in a pretty neighborhood and played in the band. Life is kind of complicated. I had an easy upbringing, and now, I have noticed that I hadn’t learned some things such as perseverance, dedication, etcetera.”

Maner’s understanding of his privilege, and his acknowledgement that it led him to lack traits those with rougher upbringings must learn, was a nod to the struggles of all students.

“I don’t think it necessarily takes external support to make it where you want to go,” Maner said. “If you can find a way to support yourself in terms of being your own advocate, at the end of the day everyone is advocating for themselves. If you can learn to do that you can make it where you want to go.”

Students that attended the Q&A commented on how Maner was able to relate to them — even if they weren’t music students.

“I was surprised how relatable the Q&A was. I don’t play any instruments and haven’t ever been super into this sort of thing, but he did a good job of making the discussion about advancing in your life as a whole, rather than just in terms of music,” said Jacquelyn Sparrow, a 21-year-old film major at DePaul University.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “College Night” was sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Dietrich M. Gross, longtime subscribers and donors to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

“In addition to having endowed the principal flute chair, they generously sponsor a weekend of concerts each season,” said Clay Baker, a communications and public relations coordinator at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

“Pre-pandemic, we held two to four college nights each season,” Baker said. “This is our first one since Fall 2019. We have been hosting college nights for over 15 years.”

As events like “College Night” become available due to rising vaccination numbers and a decrease in hospitalizations, precaution levels vary for different venues. At the Chicago Symphony Orchestra event, proof of vaccination, a matching ID and masks were required for all guests regardless of vaccination status.

After the Q&A, the concert, titled “Muti Conducts Montgomery & Beethoven Pastoral” featured “Riccardo Muti lead[ing] a world premiere by Jessie Montgomery, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s new Mead Composer-in-Residence.”

During his Q&A, Maner explained that the Montgomery piece “is extremely simple. There’s a melody that’s given and it’s changed slightly, either the mixup of the melody or the instrument playing the melody. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. It’s a hymn for everyone.”

The performance also featured a bass concerto, “Concerto di Bravura,” performed by Alexander Hanna, principal bassist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Orchestras rarely feature the bass as a soloist, so the “College Night” performance was both exciting and unique. Hanna also serves on the bass faculty at DePaul University.

Experiencing all Chicago has to offer might be a financial burden to many college students, but there are a number of discounts offered by organizations, such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, that allow students to be more involved with the arts. While “College Night” only happens a few times a year at CSO, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get discounted tickets for $20 at select concerts.

Events such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “College Night” allow students to expand their horizons without breaking the bank.