CONCERT ETIQUETTE GUIDE
Am I in the right seat? Not sure when to clap? Sense a sneeze or a cough coming on? The following tips for novices and regular concertgoers alike will satisfy even the strictest minders of manners.
What do I wear?
While there is no dress code for the CRSO performances, most patrons typically wear comfortable business-like attire. Others will choose to wear either dressier or casual clothing. Be comfortable and enjoy the performance!
Children
While CRSO concerts are for music lovers of all ages, children attending should be of an age where they are able to sit quietly in their own seat for long periods of time. Performances will be given each season especially for the youngest of our listeners.
How will I find my seat?
Even the most experienced audience member may need help with seat locations. We promise you won’t need a map or a compass. Any usher will be more than happy to guide you.
Late Seating
If you arrive after a performance has begun, the ushers will do their best to seat you during an appropriate pause in the program.
Cellular Telephones, Pagers, and Other Electronic Devices
Take a break from the outside world! Please turn off your cellular telephones, pagers, and all other audible electronic devices, before the concert begins. Even a device on “silent” will often vibrate or light up and disturb you, the ones around you, and even the ones on stage.
Talking
Even the quietest whispers can be heard in the concert hall and can prove to be a distraction to patrons and musicians alike. Save your comments until intermission or after the concert, it will give you and your friends much more to discuss. Fidgeting, rummaging through a bag or backpack, and rustling of paper can also be a distraction. The idea is to enjoy the sights and sounds of the performance while being courteous and considerate to the performers and fellow audience members.
Photography / Recording
Taking photos during the concert is very distracting to those around you as well as the performers. It is a big no-no. Audio or video recording is also not allowed as this can also be distracting and may violate copyright laws. At times professional photographers and recording engineers will be present to capture the moment.
How will I know when the concert is about to begin?
When you first take your seat, you will notice that several of the musicians may already be on stage. Don’t worry; you’re not late. The musicians are warming up and reviewing their music before the concert begins. Just prior to the start of the concert, the last orchestra member to enter the stage is the first chair violinist (Concertmaster / Concertmistress). The Concertmaster will signal the principal oboe to play a pitch while the sections of the orchestra tune. The conductor will then enter the stage, bow to the applauding audience, turn around to face the orchestra, and begin the concert.
Is it time to clap yet?
Many works performed by orchestras are divided into several large, independent sections called “movements”. Movements often have pauses between them. While most artists appreciate applause at any time during a performance, It is most common for the audience to wait until the end of an entire work to clap. Why? Holding applause between movements is considered to be respectful to the performers’ concentration and mindful of musical continuity.
The conductor should let you know, and usually does, when a piece is over. He or she will put his or her arms down and turn to face the audience. The conductor will also shake the hands of the concertmaster and the soloist if there is one. If you’re still in doubt, you can always wait until someone else begins to clap and then join in!
Coughing / Sneezing / Eating / Drinking
Neither eating nor drinking is permitted inside the auditoriums. If you are hungry, please have a snack before the concert or during intermission. If you feel the onset of a cold or allergies, please use a cough drop to ensure that the concert experience is as pleasurable as possible for you—and those around you. Kindly note the next important step: unwrap them ahead of time.
If you cannot suppress a cough, it is perfectly acceptable, extraordinarily polite even, to excuse yourself from the Hall until you feel better.
After the Concert
As the applause starts to die down, the performers will put their instruments away and begin to leave the stage. The house lights will be turned on. At this point the concert is over. Now is the time to get that picture of the stage or of your friends!
Derived from:
“Concert Etiquette Guide for the Beginner and Expert”
by Gail Miller Armondino, Ph.D. for Notes to Go
What do I wear?
While there is no dress code for the CRSO performances, most patrons typically wear comfortable business-like attire. Others will choose to wear either dressier or casual clothing. Be comfortable and enjoy the performance!
Children
While CRSO concerts are for music lovers of all ages, children attending should be of an age where they are able to sit quietly in their own seat for long periods of time. Performances will be given each season especially for the youngest of our listeners.
How will I find my seat?
Even the most experienced audience member may need help with seat locations. We promise you won’t need a map or a compass. Any usher will be more than happy to guide you.
Late Seating
If you arrive after a performance has begun, the ushers will do their best to seat you during an appropriate pause in the program.
Cellular Telephones, Pagers, and Other Electronic Devices
Take a break from the outside world! Please turn off your cellular telephones, pagers, and all other audible electronic devices, before the concert begins. Even a device on “silent” will often vibrate or light up and disturb you, the ones around you, and even the ones on stage.
Talking
Even the quietest whispers can be heard in the concert hall and can prove to be a distraction to patrons and musicians alike. Save your comments until intermission or after the concert, it will give you and your friends much more to discuss. Fidgeting, rummaging through a bag or backpack, and rustling of paper can also be a distraction. The idea is to enjoy the sights and sounds of the performance while being courteous and considerate to the performers and fellow audience members.
Photography / Recording
Taking photos during the concert is very distracting to those around you as well as the performers. It is a big no-no. Audio or video recording is also not allowed as this can also be distracting and may violate copyright laws. At times professional photographers and recording engineers will be present to capture the moment.
How will I know when the concert is about to begin?
When you first take your seat, you will notice that several of the musicians may already be on stage. Don’t worry; you’re not late. The musicians are warming up and reviewing their music before the concert begins. Just prior to the start of the concert, the last orchestra member to enter the stage is the first chair violinist (Concertmaster / Concertmistress). The Concertmaster will signal the principal oboe to play a pitch while the sections of the orchestra tune. The conductor will then enter the stage, bow to the applauding audience, turn around to face the orchestra, and begin the concert.
Is it time to clap yet?
Many works performed by orchestras are divided into several large, independent sections called “movements”. Movements often have pauses between them. While most artists appreciate applause at any time during a performance, It is most common for the audience to wait until the end of an entire work to clap. Why? Holding applause between movements is considered to be respectful to the performers’ concentration and mindful of musical continuity.
The conductor should let you know, and usually does, when a piece is over. He or she will put his or her arms down and turn to face the audience. The conductor will also shake the hands of the concertmaster and the soloist if there is one. If you’re still in doubt, you can always wait until someone else begins to clap and then join in!
Coughing / Sneezing / Eating / Drinking
Neither eating nor drinking is permitted inside the auditoriums. If you are hungry, please have a snack before the concert or during intermission. If you feel the onset of a cold or allergies, please use a cough drop to ensure that the concert experience is as pleasurable as possible for you—and those around you. Kindly note the next important step: unwrap them ahead of time.
If you cannot suppress a cough, it is perfectly acceptable, extraordinarily polite even, to excuse yourself from the Hall until you feel better.
After the Concert
As the applause starts to die down, the performers will put their instruments away and begin to leave the stage. The house lights will be turned on. At this point the concert is over. Now is the time to get that picture of the stage or of your friends!
Derived from:
“Concert Etiquette Guide for the Beginner and Expert”
by Gail Miller Armondino, Ph.D. for Notes to Go
