A Duke Discount That Hits All the Right Musical Notes

Savings on North Carolina Symphony concert tickets provide access to live orchestral music

A view of the NC Symphony Orchestra playing at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Duke staff and faculty can save on tickets to North Carolina Symphony's Summerfest season, which begins May 23. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Symphony

Catherine Wu once played the violin and viola. Now a Grants and Contracts Administrator supporting Duke’s Department of Medicine Research Administration Support Resource, Wu played the string instruments all the way through college, in fact, but somehow never attended a professional symphony concert.

That is, until a Duke staff and faculty discount recently helped her attend the North Carolina Symphony for 20% off regularly priced tickets.

Wu listened to “The Music of John Williams” and “The Music of Harry Potter” at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh – and was grateful she checked to see if Duke offered a discount, first.

“I might not have gone without the discount,” said Wu, who noted tickets to the John Williams concert were $84 without the discount. “It was impactful not only to hear, but also see, iconic songs performed – the magical celesta and flowing strings of Hedwig’s theme from Harry Potter, the enchanting woodwinds and French horn in Princess Leia’s theme from Star Wars, the resounding brass and percussion of the Olympics theme and so many more.”

North Carolina Symphony performing at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
North Carolina Symphony's Summerfest season is performed in Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Symphony

Staff and faculty can also save on tickets to North Carolina Symphony’s Summerfest season, which begins May 23, with performances in Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

Lawn Flex 10-Pack Passes are $24; regular-price Lawn Flex 10-Pack Passes are $28 per pass.

Concert highlights for Summerfest 2026 include Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, selections from “Swan Lake,” “Under the Sea” music from “Jaws” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and the music of Billy Joel.

Individual Summerfest tickets go on sale April 21.

In addition, individual concert tickets through the end of the North Carolina Symphony’s 2025-26 season on May 16 can be purchased at a discounted rate.

For Wu, the opportunity to see a professional symphony orchestra in person encouraged her to capitalize on the Duke employee discount more often.

“What a memorable evening,” she said. “I left happy to support incredibly talented musicians.”

For more symphony information, contact the Symphony Box Office at 919-733-2750 or visit ncsymphony.org.

For a full list of Duke employee discounts, visit hr.duke.edu/discounts.

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