At Symphony Hall, singles can make beautiful music together

I couldn’t resist asking.
“So baby, do you come here often?”
It was Saturday night after all. But we weren’t trading glances in a bar, we were at the swank Miller Room in Symphony Hall.
The 20-something looked at this 54-year-old like I had just crash-landed my spacecraft from Mars. Then she turned on her heels and bolted without giving her name - and definitely without sharing her phone number, which my editor had ordered me to get. Sorry, boss.
We were at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Repartee event, an upscale meat market preconcert minglefest for the age 21-38 crowd (the next one takes place March 6). The only reason this geezer got through the door - not that they card - is because of this story. But wait: There’s hope for this aging Martian. The BSO also has created Bolero, a similar dating experience for those 40 and older (insert Jack Benny joke here; nobody could tell me why 39-year-olds are being left out of these singles gatherings). Get in on the action, if that’s the right word, tonight at 7 before the BSO performs at 8 (tickets, $85, include the reception and concert; 888-266-7575).
Sarah Manoog, the BSO’s director of marketing programs, considers both Repartee and Bolero unequivocal successes.
“We had a certain feeling that Symphony Hall was not that accessible to singles,” she said. “We wanted to make it fun, and have an educational component, but not hit people over the head with it. We have a speaker from the orchestra or from the publications department, and it gives it a celebrity feeling. And, of course, the appetizers and cocktails help.”
They sure do. The spread was sweet, and the Miller Room was filled with handsome swells and attractive lassies making nice. Robert Kirzinger, BSO publications associate, made brief, salient and audience-friendly comments partway through the event. This is way better than a singles bar, and a lot quieter, too.
“We like to foster a feeling of belonging,” Manoog said. “People can come back here during intermission. It creates a sense that people are part of a special group of friends.”
Manoog estimates that about 80 people attend the Repartee socials, which began in 1999. In the early phases the BSO offered giveaways and incentives, but, Monoog said, “We really didn’t have to do that. Now we don’t try to pretend that it’s something that it’s not. Most of the people who attend are first-time concert-goers, but we have over an 80 percent return rate, and that tells me we’re doing the right thing.”
Bolero is a more recent marketing venture. Its first event in December also had about 80 singles trying their luck.
“For Bolero we took a slightly different approach,” Manoog said,“with a more elegant invitation, some phone outreach and some advertising. It’s very successful, mainly because this age group is tired of online dating and such.”

By Keith Powers