1. Go to free student concerts. Curtis begins their generous recital series on Oct. 9. This is unbelievably fine music-making from some of the hottest young performers anywhere, performed in the dauntingly elegant Field Concert Hall. The hotline is 215-893-5261. Or just walk in.

2. Try chamber music or solo recitals. The big sound of an orchestra is uniquely exciting, but chamber music draws you in, and the visceral, virtuosic intimacy is unmatched. The largest source is the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (pcmsconcerts.org), with their enormous season, at venues all over the city. Tickets are $22 or less, a great deal for their cream-of-the-crop performers. But Philadelphia is filled with terrific freelance players — orchestra musicians who love to play chamber music. Some of the most inspired concerts take place in churches and synagogues.

3. Check out new music. It can be fun and exciting, thought-provoking, perhaps even infuriating. It's rarely dull. This is our music, in the language of our time, and with all due respect to Beethoven (love ya, Ludwig van), it is relevant in a way that older music simply cannot match. It also attracts great musicians who are eager for new challenges, so Philadelphians get to hear new music played at very high levels. In addition to the usual suspects, including Relåche, Network for New Music, Orchestra 2001 and Chamber Music Now!, there's a ton of good new stuff sandwiched into mainstream presenting venues. Schools — including Curtis, Penn, Temple and Settlement — are also a good source, often with free concerts.

4. For crying out loud, go hear the Philadelphia Orchestra, already! Living here and not hearing this band is like never having been to a Phillies game. A crucial difference is that although our beloved ball team occasionally has a rather smelly go of it, the orchestra, in the words of my Daily News colleague Tom DiNardo, plays in the World Series every night out. Yes, they are that good, and there are a lot of imaginative programs designed for newbies. But go anytime, especially when the boss, Christoph Eschenbach, is on the podium. Did you know that orchestra tickets for all subscription concerts start at $10? So just go!

(p_burwasser@citypaper.net)