Sat front row at the symphony...

Orchestral music, at its best, is enjoyed sumptuously not in rows 1-5, but beyond that, centrally from the 5th through the 8th rows.  Professional, performing musicians understand the concept of "soundstage" and where it is best heard.

@7452jf,

Completely agree with you in your statement regarding California Center for the Arts, Escondido. I’ve been there a handful of times myself, and in fact one of my daughters was briefly enrolled (one year) at Classical Academy Middle School directly across from.

Please tell me you’ve attended “The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.”

:-)

@lfssbn1 YES +1

The talk here about optimal seating when attending live orchestral performances is definitely fascinating and helpful for me, and I appreciate all the contributions here.
Gives me something to think about next time.
As the saying goes, anything worth doing is worth doing right.
Should $ and circumstances allow, I would be well advised to enjoy the performance optimally.

I think that most people who see performances in Concert / Symphony Halls will disagree with you on the front row seat as the best seat in the hall.  Be it clamshell like here in Chicago or shoe box (I prefer), like Boston, surprisingly up in the rafters, the gallery seats sound the best but for many reasons, sitting closer most people will prefer.  Solti used to listen to the orchestra from the gallery.  Also, Heinz Hall used to be a movie theatre and it went through many revisions to make it properly project sound from the orchestra to the seats. Typically the front of the first balcony, somewhere in the middle of the main floor as long as you don't sit underneath the balcony is fine.  In Symphony Center, Chicago, the first row at least used to be cheaper than the seats behind it.  I remember years back my brother and I made a last minute decision to have an early dinner downtown at Russian Tea Time and we got hammered on vodka, vodka flights with various zakuski.  When we heard that Gidon Kremer was performing at Orchestra Hall we made a last minute dash to get seats and we did;  front row, just left of the center seat.  Can't count all the performances I've seen there but it was my first time in the front row and it was fun, to say the least.  Drunk and sitting right below Kremer and Barenboim, recliners would have been better suited but we certainly got an in your face performance.  It was so loud,  rosin and horse hairs were drifting down on us, plus Gidon gets excited and stomps his feet during the performance and even subtle voice cues from Daniel.  It was a performance to remember and I'd do it again