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?Parking for all events at the Wilson Center will be located at the Hanover Parking Deck, with entrances on Hanover Street and 2nd Street.

Access into the Hanover Parking Deck from Second Street is on the First Level and the Hanover Street entrance is on the Second Level.  It is equipped with state-of-the-art software, which displays actual Deck counts on LED signage in front of the Deck entrances.
Parking rates are $5 per event per vehicle; cash only, please.  Please note that parking rates are subject to change.

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.