Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra—Web Contest

Surf the website for free concert tickets

Background:

With the help of a web contest, the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra hopes to attract a larger audience and initiate increased browsing on their website. Executive Director Bob Rosoff came up with the idea when brainstorming ways for the orchestra to connect with the local community. Glens Falls sits in the southeast corner of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and is home to several colleges, along with many public and private schools, which provide plentiful opportunities for the orchestra to reach a younger audience. The orchestra is seeking to heighten their connection with many of these students, through traditional family concerts, and the web contest.

The Contest:


  • Asks five questions that—when answered correctly—give the contestant eligibility for two free concert tickets
  • Generally asks specific questions that most users will not intuitively know
  • Forces people to browse the website for answers (all answers to questions are found on the website)
  • Often links questions to the website location where the answer is found
  • Updates with a new set of five questions for each concert
  • Relates questions thematically to each concert (For example, a recent survey posted questions about Gunther Schuller, the guest conductor for that concert)
  • Generates questions exclusively by the music director and executive director

An example of current questions:

  • Paul Hindemith's Symphony "Mathis der Maler" translates as "Mathis the Painter." Who was Mathis, and what was the art work Hindemith was "describing"?
  •  The "Emperor” Concerto was premiered in 1811, but not by Beethoven. Why not?
  • The Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra began at Adirondack Community College 29 years ago. Who were the conductors?

The Future:

The contest began in November 2006 and has gone through two cycles, paralleled with two concerts. Because of its recent start, the web contest has not yet been used heavily. Glens Falls Symphony will soon promote the contest with announcements in concert programs.

Stay tuned for further updates as the program picks up speed.
For additional info:
Robert B. Rosoff, Executive Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it