Attending your First Classical Concert? Awesome, Here’s What you Need to Know
Hey, where is everybody?
Before university, I never went to a concert— well except that one time when I was in high school. I went to see, at the time, my one true love, Prince Royce. Other than that, I was pretty much not a fan of concerts. I actually never planned on attending any of them until my music 101 class required us to attend a concert from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I was like fine so be it. It’s cool. My professor briefed the class on what we needed to do: be silent and clap at the right time or clap when everyone else claps.
I do not remember it at all; It was all so overwhelming. Especially for me as a particularly anxious individual. First, I had no awareness of what I liked and what I did not like. I was just trying to finish my assignment for my music class while juggling all my other classes. So I just picked a date and didn’t give much thought until the day of. I recall arriving barely on time and being super sweaty from having to run across the city. They let me in and I had the pleasure (not!) of being sandwiched in between two random people while I was trying breath too hard. I was already on edge and I just wanted to get it over with.
It was not that bad but I was not head over heels with the experience. That did change the second time. Let me tell you, it was the BEST concert I ever went to. All of this is to say, I just did not know what I was doing and did not enjoy my first concert at all because of that. So I, as your friendly anxious musician, needed way more detail on the standards of attending a classical music concert. I am going to pass on the knowledge I have acquired about attending concerts.
Do the Research!
First things first, before attending, do your research! I cannot stress this enough. I witnessed a woman and her son being kicked out of the hall because the boy had some neurodivergence where he became very vocal with particular pitches. At least from what I could tell it was whenever the piccolo began to play. Personally, I did not like how that organization handled the situation and all I can hope is that music orgs make themselves more transparent and accessible. But I digress. Kinda… They really need an upgrade.
Concerts can vary on time, but they do require long periods of silence and sitting. It might be worth calling to check if accommodations can be made. Orchestras are creating less traditional concerts as well where the unspoken rules are a lot more lax. A good rule of thumb is to list out what you need to be comfortable. Can not sit for long periods of time? Have vocal tics? Ask to see if there are accommodations or concerts that make it possible— who knows, this might prompt an organization to create opportunities.
Optional Step: Musical Research
This is something that might be super helpful in terms of attending your first concert and I personally like to do this. I know not everybody does. But I like to listen to different recordings of the pieces that I am going to hear so I can get the full effect when I'm there. Listening to recordings are great but there is nothing like hearing a live concert that is performed in architecture/acoustics that are built for the music.
Plus, it can put you at ease knowing when a song ends. My first time attending felt never-ending. I just needed a little time to shift my mindset that I was going to be sandwiched between two strangers. I desperately wanted to leave to get a second to process my surroundings (thanks claustrophobia.) Anyways, there is a procedure to clapping, standing up or moving so knowing pieces can help with mindfulness.
Looking up a little bit of information for the pieces that you are about to listen can give dimension on the music, especially if you are not an avid listener. Most concerts give reportorial list prior to you signing up and then usually they let you know what it is and sometimes they even have a short description of what this music is about. But it's always good to do a little research especially if it's not in your language. It just helps the overall understanding of the music that you're about to listen to.
The Nitty Gritty
I always, always think of attending these concerts as a date night even when I go by myself. Although dress codes are explicitly stated, it’s recommended. I personally think it adds to the experience. Put on your Sunday best and get dolled up. It is a concert. It is fun and it a date night. You can wear super formal wear or something a little bit more subtle in general people do get dressed up to attend these concerts and I think it's just overall a nice thing to do for yourself.
Arrive on time
You would not want to be late to a date, would you? You do not want to be right on time or late because it is likely that they will not let you into the performance until the end of the first piece. It messes with the ambiance of the performance and to respect the other patrons, you will not be allowed to be seated. It does not have to be so heavy, not necessarily something you think you have to do but it is something nice to do. While you are planning on attending this concert, it is a good idea to get there early. The atmosphere of these types of concerts tends to be very very formal, to say the least. If you do not arrive early, it is a possibility that they will lock you out of the concert, and you will have to enter during intermission. They are very strict about this, and you want to make sure that you do not miss out on anything. Those seats were expensive.
Clapping
Unlike other concerts, there is a time of when to clap. It is usually at the very end of the piece and it’s not always intuitive, there are movements.
In terms of etiquette, there is a little bit of a standard going to these concerts. It's not like going to a rock concert or a pop concert. The first things first is that you are going to have to be silent throughout the performance. It and there are traditions where you should not be clapping in between movements of a symphony or a concerto. If you are unsure whether to applaud, just follow the audience. You know start clapping when everybody starts clapping. That's what I did when I first started attending.
Pro-tip: If you’re still unsure wait until the the conductor turns back around and bows… OR wait till everyone else claps
No Electronics and Definitely No Pictures
Make sure that your cell phone is silence and that you are not on your phone throughout the performance. Usually, as of recent I have been noticing that concerts go through a brief like statement where they just let everybody know like hey, no, this is not that and what was actually kind of amusing to me is that larger symphonies are now starting to offer cough drops. Some venues do have designated areas for patrons to take pictures, however, and will announce this before the concert. If you miss all of these announcements, you can usually find the in the first few pages of your program.
Shhhh…
It is for a traditional concert that you will need to be silent for nearly the entirety of it. You will also need to be still. People are not there to just experience the orchestral concert. These rules are strict because this type of music is usually performed in a very specific location like a concert hall or a church that uses its natural acoustics to bounce off sound. None of this music is amplified usually. The design of these types of halls are made so the tiniest sound can be as clear as possible in a distance. So, if you are whispering in thinking that you are not loud, guess what the people who 10 seats in front of you can hear you. It is kind of cool to be honest. However, it ruins the atmosphere and ambience when you are listening to people crinkling their candy wrappers or you hear like a phone go off.
Some of the concerts that I have attended I have actually seen the conductor turn around, STOP THE MUSIC, and wait for the person to silence their phone. It is not a good feeling to be in that situation. It does disrupt everybody who is listening and the performers.
There are so many rules!
I know some people might find this really, really off putting and I completely understand why. It sounds stuffy and stiff. It is not for everyone. I encourage you to still try it. If the vibe is what is throwing you off, go to the less formal ones! You can dip your toe into this type of music that way.
All these rules were actually a recent development in the classical music world. It wasn't always like this. It used to be more like your rock concerts. People would, be clapping, wooing, and such. I like to think that there is room for both, and I hope that orchestras are coming more with the times and dedicating concerts that allow for that type.
I have the fortunate experience of living in a large city where many orchestras have been attempting to get more involved with community outreach by coordinating more family-friendly concerts where yes, you can cheer in between you can be excited and all. I like options. Sometimes I just want some nice background music, sometimes I want the symphony experience. I like being enveloped into the sounds and transported into a different world.
