I go to the symphony for two reasons.
First, it fulfills one of my weekly tasks: an “artist’s date.”
As described by Julia Cameron, an artist’s date is a weekly creative outing—taken solo, to inspire oneself. It’s usually centered around an artistic skill outside of one’s own expertise (which in my case, includes quite a lot!).
Second, I love to see excellence in action.
Sixty musicians and a conductor, having each individually pursued excellence for decades, come together around a composer (another seeker of excellence) and one of their works, all in an attempt to create an experience greater than themselves.
I don’t have much of an ear for music, but I do have an eye for masterful craftsmanship, and a symphony artist’s date invariably makes me want to do strive more in my own craft.