With all the amazing entertainment options that Seattle offers, we're ecstatic that you're thinking of attending an SFO concert! Making sure that you have a great experience is our utmost priority. The players can definitely sense when an audience is engaged and having fun, and it really increases the energy level. So we want to ensure that nothing gets in the way of that.
This FAQ was created to answer common questions people often have before coming. If you want to know something not listed, shoot us an email or find us on Facebook!
What’s the difference between the Full and Family Friendly concerts?
What should I do if my child can’t sit through the entire concert?
How long are the concerts?
About 1 1/2 hours for the traditional full-length Sunday concerts; 45-60 minutes for the family-friendly concerts.
Are seats assigned?
No, we offer general seating for both concerts - sit where you like! If you need special accomodations, feel free to reach out. Both of our venues are wheelchair-friendly.
What's the difference between the Full and Family-Friendly concerts?
Family-Friendly concerts:
- Shorter in length (around 45-60 minutes); pieces will be shortened/cut to make the concert more accessible to children
- Held on Saturday afternoons at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in NE Seattle (near Laurelhurst Park and U Village)
- Concertgoers should expect a moderate level of "kid noise" and movement at this venue
- There's usually some sort of engaging activity for kids during the concert; kids are always encouraged to go up on the stage and meet the musicians during intermission. (For our Cinematic Adventures concert, we will feature a costume contest!)
- Kid-friendly snacks always available at intermission
- Free! - due to an generous grant from 4Culture, we are able to offer free admission to all our family-friendly concerts, with the goal of increasing public access to classical music. (Donations are of course very welcome!)
Full concerts:
- Unabridged: pieces are played in their entirety
- Held on Sunday afternoons, at the newly-renovated Town Hall Seattle, with fabulous acoustics
- Children are still welcome; the concert just has a more "grown-up" feel and children will need to sit quietly through a 1.5 hour concert
- Both snacks and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase during intermission
- Tickets are $20 adults / $15 seniors / $5 children 5-18 / free under 5
What should I do if my child can't sit through the family-friendly concert?
Some "wiggliness" from kids is expected and if it's not disturbing families around you, it's A-OK! If your kid has reached their limit, though, you're welcome to take them to the lobby at the back of the concert hall, where there's space to get energy out, and you can even grab a snack - you can still hear the music from the lobby. And, if a family just needs to leave early, we completely understand :) Your kid still got early exposure to symphonic music, which opens the doors for life-long appreciation!
What should I wear?
There is no "correct" attire for our symphony concerts - since they take place in the afternoon, most of our audience members just wear the regular clothes they would normally have on that day. Dressing up is never discouraged, of course. We've even seen concertgoers arrive in costume, to fit the theme of our concert!
When do I clap?
Sigh, this should be simple, shouldn't it -- clap or cheer when you feel particularly moved by the music to express what you're feeling, even if it's in the middle of a piece! This was how it was in the early days of classical music, but at some point things changed so that one must politely clap only at the absolute end of a piece (after all movements have concluded). This can be pretty awkward when, as is often the case, the first movement of a symphony or concerto ends really dramatically only to be greeted by silence (or coughing).
At SFO, we invite you to applaud whenever you feel moved to do so, as long as you're comfortable with it. If you're more timid and don't like making noise when no one else is, the safe bet is to wait until the conductor turns around to face the audience.
What about phones?
Surprise! We actually don't mind if you keep your phones on to share your experience on social media or to tell your friends where you are and what you're doing. Please do keep them on silent (even vibrate can be heard when all is quiet) and turn off the flash for pictures - the players will really appreciate it. Also, it’s best to be discreet with any phone activity to avoid distracting other audience members too much.
Why you and not the Seattle Symphony?
The Seattle Symphony is the premier regional orchestra. They're professional, and they're the best. We encourage you to attend their performances (we often do ourselves)!
A community orchestra like SFO provides a different experience in some ways. We often invite talented local youth soloists to play concertos with us. Some of these kids are embarking on a journey to become professional musicians, and it's fascinating to hear their playing so early on. Sometimes, we invite members of the Nathan Hale High School to join us. NHHS kindly allows us to use their music rooms to rehearse, and it’s always a blast to have them join us on stage. Also, it's worth noting that we rehearse much more for each set than a professional orchestra. So by performance time, the music has really become near and dear to us.
Lastly, playing in SFO is not a job -- the vast majority of members are not paid. We do it to see the visual effect of the music, feel the waves of sound, smile and laugh with our friends, and experience things inexplicably beautiful (or desolate) with others. Our concerts are a chance to share this with an audience, and we like to think there's something special about that.