Symphony Etiquette

What to wear
Many concertgoers tend to dress up a bit because they are most comfortable attending a concert that way. So, wear whatever you think would make you comfortable in the setting of a concert hall. A good guide might be your personal dress code for work or dinner with friends.

Cellular phones and pagers
Before the concert begins, turn off your cell phones, pagers and other audible electronic devices.

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. However, late seating is not always available at all performances. Please try to be on time.

When to clap
Most artists appreciate applause at any time during a performance. Modern audiences, however, tend 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 auditorium. 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.

-Symphony etiquette tips compiled by Gail Miller Armondino, Ph.D., for Notes to Go