We're Glad You Asked...
What do people wear to the concerts?
Concert-goers usually dress as they would if they were going to a play,
a religious service, or a nice family restaurant.
Where can I park?
Free general parking is offered in the lot adjacent to Kenan Auditorium and in
additional lots along Randall Drive. A limited number of reserved parking spaces
are set aside in the lot next to the auditorium for WSO donors who contribute
$150 or more to the annual fund. Signage will direct you to appropriate parking
areas. Campus police officers will be on hand to supervise parking.
Several handicapped parking spaces are next to the auditorium.
Persons using wheelchairs, and who will be unaccompanied, should call our
office (791-9262) at least 24 hours in advance to arrange for assistance.
Is there an elevator in Kenan Auditorium?
Although Kenan Auditorium does not have an elevator, the building is handicap-
accessible. Passengers can be dropped off at the front portico of Kenan and can
enter the building via a wheelchair ramp along the south side.
How long will the concert last?
The evening concerts are about 90 minutes to two hours in length (including
an intermission.) The matinees are 60 minutes in length with no intermission.
At this time there is no food or beverage concession available.
Is the concert appropriate for children?
Matinees in general, and the Family Concert in particular, are good concert choices
for children. They are generally more casual in presentation and shorter in length.
Evening concerts are appropriate for children who can sit quietly for 45 minutes or
more at a time.
Can I buy tickets at the door?
Tickets are sold at the door on a space-available basis; if the concert is already
sold out, concert-goers can wait in the lobby for unclaimed tickets to be released
shortly before the concert begins.
I've never gone to a symphonic concert performance, is there any
etiquette I need to be aware of?
Thanks for asking.. that's a great question! Appropriate concert behavior is
something that everyone should follow when attending a professional symphony
performance, a high school band concert, or a beginning piano recital and any
live theater performance.
-
Do not talk during the performance
The acoustics in auditoriums and concert halls are designed to amplify sounds,
and as a result, whispers are amplified too. -
Turn off the cell phones.
No matter how cool a ring tone is, most people who pay for concert tickets
do not wish to have the performance interrupted by a phone. If there is some
reason that you absolutely must use your phone and it cannot wait, have the
courtesy to wait until an appropriate time and leave the concert hall before
using the phone. -
Wait for an appropriate time to enter and exit
Opening and closing of doors for people to enter and exit disrupts the effects
of the lighting and people coming and going in the middle of performances
distracts the audience and the performers. -
Do not shout, whistle, or cheer.
Many classical pieces have long pauses and the end of a movement can sound
like the end of the song. An easy way to tell when the piece has ended and it is
time to applaud is to watch the conductor. When he or she turns around to face
the audience, it is time to applaud, not before. While appropriate at sporting
events and rock concerts, this behavior at a formal symphony, or orchestra concert
is considered rude. -
Children should abide by these behaviors as well.
If a child is too small to sit still and quiet for the duration of the performance,
which can be a hour or so at a time, the child is too young to attend and it is
better to wait until the child is older before attending.