Concert Etiquette

We sincerely appreciate your attendance at concerts and hope that you enjoy the performance. Remember that ours are LIVE PERFORMANCES.  Your enjoyment of the performance, as well as that of others’, is directly impacted by each audience member’s listening experience. Please respect these standard rules of concert etiquette.

ARRIVE ON TIME
• Arriving late to a live performance is distracting and rude to others
• If you are late, please enter QUIETLY and BETWEEN selections from the rear of the concert hall.
• If you are late, please be seated as near to the rear door as possible.
 
TURN OFF CELL PHONES/PAGERS
• Cell phone noises are a rude distraction to other concert attendees and to the performers.
• Persons talking on cell phones during concerts will be asked to leave.
 
NO FOOD OR DRINKS INSIDE THE CONCERT HALL
• Eating and drinking during concerts is not acceptable. (this is not a movie theater!)
• If you anticipate the need for a throat lozenge, unwrap it beforehand, since noisy cellophane is a distraction as well.
 
SMALL CHILDREN
• Small children and infants, especially, have a difficult time sitting quietly and still in formal
   concerts. It is probably best to leave them at home.
• If you MUST bring a small child or infant, please sit at the rear of the room so that a quick, easy and discreet exit may be made if/when necessary.
 
DO NOT EXIT THE CONCERT UNTIL INTERMISSION, OR UNLESS THERE IS AN EMERGENCY
• Leaving the performance prior to it’s completion is a distraction to others
• If you must leave, please exit quietly and discreetly through the rear exit.
 
APPLAUSE
• Appropriate applause is the only acceptable audible response from the audience.
• Hold applause until the end of multi-movement works. (do not applaud between movements)
• Audience members who are disruptive will be asked to leave!
 
 GOLDEN RULES FOR AUDIENCES
 
  1. Go easy with the atomizer; many people are highly allergic to perfumes and colognes!
  2. If you bring a child, make sure etiquette is a part of the experience. Children love learning new things.
  3. Unwrap all candies and cough drops before the concert begins.
  4. Make sure cell phones, beepers, and watch alarms are OFF……and don’t jangle the bangles.
  5. The overture is part of the performance. Please cease talking at this point.
  6. Note to lovebirds:   when you lean your heads together, you block the view of the person behind you. Leaning forward also blocks the view.
  7. THOU SHALT NOT TALK, or whisper, or hum, or sing along, or beat time with a body part.
  8. Force yourself to wait for a pause or intermission before filing through a purse or bag.
  9. Yes, the parking lot gets busy and public transportation is tricky, but leaving while the concert is in progress is discourteous.
  10. The old standby: DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.
 (taken from programs from Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and Lincoln Center in New York City)
 
Don't do anything 
that makes people notice you 
instead of the performance.
Be courteous.
Use good judgment.
Use the restroom before the concert