There is no dress code! Most people dress in “business casual” attire, but you will see everything from jeans and a t-shirt to suits and cocktail dresses.

RSO concerts typically begin promptly at the advertised start time. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes before concert time so you have time to park, get through the security check, and find your seats.

On each concert page is a schedule, including what time the doors open and if there is a pre-concert activity.

If you arrive after the concert begins, you will be asked to wait in the lobby until there is a break in the performance so as to not disrupt other concertgoers when you enter.

Concerts usually last 1.5 -2 hours with an intermission.

Of course, you will! Many frequent concertgoers enjoy learning more about the music and find it provides them a deeper appreciation, but the music is meant to be enjoyed all on its own. No studying required!

This is probably the number one source of anxiety among new audience members! Relax! We’re glad you’re here!

There are two schools of thought about this.

Once upon a time, audiences applauded at the end of every piece, even between movements of longer works. And if they really liked what they heard, they might even demand a repeat! But some people feel that, since a work like a four-movement symphony was created as a whole, it is best to “frame the music with silence”, holding applause until the end.

At the RSO, you should clap when you want to show appreciation for the performance! Don’t worry about the stuffy “rules” for when you should and shouldn’t clap at a concert. If you like what you hear, let the performers know!

The sound that is made when a bow moves up or down on the strings is slightly different. Markings called “bowings” are written into the music of the string players so they are all moving and playing at the same time.

What is a concertmaster? What are his/her responsibilities?

The concertmaster is the lead violinist. As the violinist with the highest “rank”, he/she sits in the first chair, next to the conductor’s podium. The concertmaster leads the orchestra in its tuning prior to the concert, and customarily plays all of the violin solos within pieces. In addition, the concertmaster marks the orchestra’s scores with the appropriate bowings – so all the violinists are moving and playing in unison.

Why does the conductor shake hands with the concertmaster at the beginning and end of each concert?

When the conductor shakes hands with the concertmaster, it is a gesture of greetings or thanks to the entire orchestra. It is a custom of respect and a symbol of cooperation.

Circumstances of history, mostly, but also acoustics. The first orchestras (in the late 1600s) were mainly string instruments. A pair of oboes was sometimes used to strengthen the first and second violin parts. Soon composers were writing separate parts for the oboe, exploiting its singing tone as a contrast to the violins. The bright, rather penetrating sound of the oboe was easy to hear, and its pitch was more stable than gut strings, so it was natural to rely on it for tuning (One can also imagine it settling, or preventing arguments. Twenty string players squabbling over a tuning note, then asking the oboist to intervene). Other instruments drifted in and out of the orchestra – flutes, bassoon, French horns, clarinets – before its instrumentation became relatively standardized as we know it today. But oboes were almost always present, so they became the standard instrument for tuning.

There are exceptions. Sometimes a composer chooses to replace the oboes altogether with the mellower clarinets. In that case, the clarinet becomes the de facto tuning instrument. Then there are keyboard instruments like piano, harpsichord or organ. The entire orchestra must tune to them, but the oboe still plays a role. When a keyboard instrument joins the orchestra as either a featured instrument or just a section member, the oboist listens to the ‘A’ played by the keyboard, matches it, and plays it so the rest of the orchestra can hear. And what if there is no keyboard, no oboe, no clarinet – just strings? Then the concertmaster pre-tunes his or her A string to A=440 Hz and plays the note for everyone else to hear.

Orchestras always tune to ‘A’, because every string instrument has an ‘A’ string. The standard pitch is A=440 Hertz (440 vibrations per second). Some orchestras favor a slightly higher pitch, like A=442 or higher, which some believe results in a brighter sound. If you ever played in concert band, you’ll remember that you always tuned to B flat. This is because most of the band instruments are actually pitched in B flat, and so this is their natural tuning note.

Here’s a little secret you’ll never know as an audience member. Oboes can play sharp or flat, just like any other instrument. But every oboist uses a little electronic meter to ensure that their ‘A’ is exactly right. In fact, some orchestras – even major orchestras – have gone ‘modern’ and use an electronic device to sound the tuning note. Even then, tradition is respected: it’s the oboist who turns the device on for tuning, and off when the task is completed!

For the most part. The string sections (violins, violas, cellos) are found immediately in front of the conductor and are arranged in a semi-circle. The string basses stand behind the cello section. The winds (oboes, flutes, piccolo, clarinets, and bassoons) are seated in two horizontal lines directly behind the strings. The brass (French horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba) are seated in the back of the orchestra along with the timpani, percussion, piano, and harp.

At one time the conductor literally kept the beat of the orchestra by pounding a large pole on the stage floor. While it interfered with the music, this method was effective at keeping the group together. A more subtle approach was to indicate the tempo of the piece by waving a violin bow. Over the years, the bow was transformed into the shorter, thinner version we are familiar with today.