Save Our Symphonies

A Washington DC Classical Music Newcomer’s Guide      

by David Novy

An introduction to six centuries of Western art music, with recommended listening and practical guidance for attending your first concerts.  Use this guide along with the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-2027 season where you can hear incredible music live in the Washington DC area.

Introduction

A historical illustration of a smiling man with curly hair, wearing 18th-century clothing, holding a quill in one hand and writing on music sheets, with a music stand and an ink pot visible on the table.

You don’t need to look like the picture to enjoy classical music.

What we collectively call “classical music” is not a single style but a family of traditions spanning more than a thousand years. In fact, the term encompasses at least six distinct historical periods, only one of which is formally known as the “Classical Period.” Understanding these periods matters for one very practical reason: when you discover a piece or composer you love, knowing its period is the fastest way to find more music like it.

This guide introduces each major period in chronological order, highlighting its defining characteristics, its most recognizable composers, and recommended works to begin your listening.

The final two sections offer practical guidance on preparing for a live concert and navigating concert-hall etiquette with confidence.

A word of encouragement before you begin: there is no wrong way to discover this music. Some listeners find their way in through a formal education, others through a friend’s enthusiasm, and many through nothing more sophisticated than streaming-service recommendations. However you arrive, the music will meet you where you are.

A special feature of this Washington DC guide: each section includes a “Hear It Live” section highlighting works from that period on the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2026–2027 season, the NSO’s 96th season and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda’s tenth. It is a historic and unusual season: while the Kennedy Center Concert Hall undergoes renovation, the orchestra will present roughly sixty performances at six venues across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, running from September 26, 2026, through June 2027, plus a five-state national tour in April 2027. Reading about a period and then hearing its music performed live is the single best way to make this guide come alive. Each season listing includes a link to a recording so you can preview the music before you go.  These are well-regarded reference performances rather than any single “official” version, and a few brand-new works have no recording yet. If you like the recording, the live version will be even better…I promise.

Section 1: The Medieval Period (c. 500–1400)

Overview

The Medieval period covers nearly a millennium of music, most of it created in service of the church. The era is dominated by sacred vocal music, most famously Gregorian chant, the unaccompanied, single-line melodies sung in monasteries and cathedrals across Europe. Over time, composers began layering voices on top of one another, planting the seeds of the harmony and polyphony that would define later eras.

Key Composers

  • Hildegard von Bingen (c. 1098–1179) — A German Benedictine abbess, mystic, and visionary, and one of the earliest composers whose name and works survive. Her music is soaring, ecstatic, and remarkably timeless.
  • Léonin (fl. c. 1150s–1200) — Associated with the Notre Dame school in Paris; an early master of organum, the first form of polyphony.
  • Pérotin (fl. c. 1200) — Léonin’s successor at Notre Dame, who expanded polyphony to three and four voices.

Recommended Listening

  • Hildegard von Bingen — “O virtus Sapientiae”: A mesmerizing example of Hildegard’s mystical, free-flowing melodic style. Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

Medieval music predates the modern orchestra by several centuries, so symphony orchestras rarely program it, and no Medieval works appear on the 2026–2027 season. To hear this repertoire live, seek out early-music vocal ensembles, cathedral and collegiate choirs, and early-music festivals, which keep chant and early polyphony in active performance.

Section 2: The Renaissance Period (c. 1400–1600)

Overview

The Renaissance brought a flowering of polyphony — music in which multiple independent melodic lines weave together as equals — along with major advances in musical notation and the printing of music. Sacred choral music reached extraordinary heights of refinement, while secular songs and instrumental music also began to flourish.

Key Composers

  • Josquin des Prez (c. 1450–1521) — Widely regarded as the greatest composer of the High Renaissance.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594) — The master of smooth, balanced sacred polyphony; his style became the model for church composition for centuries.
  • Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585) — The great English composer of the era, whose works remain staples of the Anglican choral tradition.

Recommended Listening

  • Palestrina — Gloria (from the Missa Papae Marcelli): A quintessential example of Renaissance polyphony — serene, luminous, and perfectly balanced. Listen on YouTube
  • Thomas Tallis — “If Ye Love Me”: A short, exquisite anthem beloved by choirs worldwide, and an ideal first taste of English Renaissance music. Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

Like Medieval music, Renaissance repertoire was written before the orchestra existed and lives primarily in the choral world, so it does not appear on the NSO’s 2026–2027 season. Professional and church choirs across the Washington region program Palestrina, Tallis, and their contemporaries regularly. Attending these types of programs is an excellent complement to a season of orchestral concerts.

Section 3: The Baroque Period (c. 1600–1750)

Overview

The Baroque era is marked by intricate ornamentation, dramatic contrasts, the birth of opera, and the rise of purely instrumental music. Instruments such as the violin and harpsichord came into their own, and forms like the concerto and the fugue took shape. Baroque music is especially beloved by brass players, whose repertoire draws heavily on the era’s ceremonial trumpet writing.

Key Composers

  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) — The towering figure of the era; master of counterpoint in every genre he touched.
  • George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) — Composer of operas, oratorios (including Messiah), and grand ceremonial music.
  • Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) — The Venetian virtuoso whose hundreds of concertos defined the form.
  • Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) — The bridge between Renaissance and Baroque, and a pioneer of opera.
  • Henry Purcell (1659–1695) — England’s finest composer of the era, equally at home in opera, sacred music, and ceremonial works.

Recommended Listening

  • Gregorio Allegri — “Miserere mei, Deus”: Composed in the 1630s and still bearing the imprint of the Renaissance, this setting of Psalm 51 was first performed in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week. According to legend, the Pope judged it so sacred that he forbade its performance anywhere else, under penalty of excommunication. The work eventually escaped the Vatican — reportedly with help from a young visitor who transcribed it from memory — and it remains one of the most transcendent pieces in the choral repertoire. Listen on YouTube
  • Vivaldi — “The Four Seasons”: Perhaps the most recognizable work of the entire Baroque era; four violin concertos depicting the changing year. Listen on YouTube
  • Purcell — “Trumpet Tune”: A staple of weddings and grand occasions. Note the interplay of light, agile trumpet against the weight of the organ, a beautiful example of Baroque point and counterpoint. Listen on YouTube
  • Monteverdi — “Beatus Vir”: Radiant, rhythmically vital sacred music from the composer who ushered in the Baroque. Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

  • Handel — Messiah | December 16–20, 2026 | Lisner Auditorium, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall The NSO’s most treasured holiday tradition returns with five performances of Handel’s choral-orchestral masterpiece, led this season by conductor Richard Egarr, a renowned Baroque specialist making his NSO debut. Everyone knows the “Hallelujah” chorus, but the complete work, by turns hushed, roaring, and radiant, is an ideal first Baroque concert experience. For a newcomer, this is a very approachable entry point for the entire season: the music is familiar, the occasion is festive, and performances take place at three different venues across the region. Listen on YouTube (Academy of Ancient Music, Choir of The Queen’s College Oxford)

Section 4: The Classical Period (c. 1750–1820)

Overview

The Classical period — the era that lends its name to the whole tradition — prized symmetry, balance, clarity, and elegant, singable melodies. It saw the development of the symphony and the string quartet, forms that remain central to concert life today. Where Baroque music dazzles with ornament, Classical music persuades with proportion.

Key Composers

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) — Prodigy and perfectionist; composer of operas, symphonies, concertos, and chamber music of unmatched grace.
  • Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) — “Father of the Symphony” and of the string quartet; witty, inventive, and endlessly productive.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) — Began in the Classical style and expanded it toward the Romantic; a pivotal figure claimed by both eras.
  • Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787) — Reformer of opera, favoring dramatic truth over vocal display.

Recommended Listening

  • Haydn — Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major: A cornerstone of the trumpet repertoire, written for a newly invented keyed trumpet that could finally play full melodies. A joy from first note to last. Listen on YouTube
  • Beethoven — Symphony No. 5 in C minor: You likely already know the Ninth Symphony’s “Ode to Joy,” but the Fifth with its famous four-note opening motif is considered by some listeners to be among the most beautiful and powerful music ever written. Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

  • Haydn — Symphony No. 85, “La Reine” | October 8–10, 2026 Noseda pairs Haydn’s elegant “Queen” symphony (a favorite of Marie Antoinette, hence the nickname) with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 and Stravinsky’s Scènes de Ballet This is a program that lets you hear Classical balance and twentieth-century drama side by side in a single evening. Listen on YouTube (Sir Neville Marriner, with score)
  • Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 21 | Friday, November 20, 2026 Pianist Jorge Federico Osorio performs Mozart’s beloved concerto famous for its haunting slow movement under conductor Marie Jacquot, framed by Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Prokofiev’s Cinderella Suite. A perfect early-holiday program for first-time concertgoers. Listen on YouTube (Ronald Brautigam, Netherlands Philharmonic — live)
  • Mozart — Violin Concerto No. 4 and Schubert — Symphony No. 5 | February 24–25, 2027 Violinist James Ehnes joins Noseda for Mozart’s sparkling concerto, followed by Schubert’s Fifth, a symphony so sunny and Mozartean in spirit that it makes an ideal bridge out of the Classical period. Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 on YouTube (Arthur Grumiaux, London Symphony) · Schubert Symphony No. 5 on YouTube (Herbert Blomstedt)
  • Mozart — “Exsultate, jubilate” | March 12–13, 2027 | Center for the Arts at George Mason University Soprano Joélle Harvey performs Mozart’s jubilant motet, with its famous concluding “Alleluia,” under Baroque and Classical specialist Bernard Labadie. Listen on YouTube (complete motet)
  • Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 24 | Winter/Spring 2027 (date at nationalsymphony.org) The eminent pianist Yefim Bronfman performs Mozart’s darkest, most dramatic piano concerto with conductor Philippe Jordan. Listen on YouTube (Murray Perahia, English Chamber Orchestra)
  • Beethoven — Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” | April 16–17, 2027 Noseda conducts Beethoven’s sunlit symphony of countryside, birdsong, and thunderstorm. This is Beethoven at his most Classical in proportion and most Romantic in spirit (see Section 5). Pianist Beatrice Rana opens the evening with Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Listen on YouTube (Sir Simon Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker)

Section 5: The Romantic Period (c. 1820–1910)

Overview

Romantic music is defined by intense emotion, dramatic expression, expanded orchestras, and a fascination with literature, nature, and national identity. Composers stretched forms to their limits, wrote for virtuoso performers, and sought above all to move the listener. Opera reached new dramatic heights, and the organ symphony emerged as a grand form in its own right.

Key Composers

  • Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) — His later works opened the door to the Romantic era.
  • Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) — Poet of the piano.
  • Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) — Heir to Beethoven’s symphonic tradition; deeply expressive within classical forms.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) — Master of melody, ballet, and orchestral color.
  • Franz Liszt (1811–1886), Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847), Robert Schumann (1810–1856) — Central figures of the era’s piano, orchestral, and song repertoire.
  • Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) — The great Italian opera composer of the late Romantic era.

Recommended Listening

  • Charles-Marie Widor — Allegro from Organ Symphony No. 6: Written in 1879 while Widor was organist at Saint-Sulpice in Paris. It opens in darkness, passes through a lighter middle section, and builds to a frenetic pursuit of its final major chord with light straining to break free from darkness. Listen on YouTube
  • Schumann — “Manfred” Overture: Brooding, turbulent, and inspired by Byron’s dramatic poem; a work that rewards repeated listening for decades. Listen on YouTube
  • Brahms — Symphony No. 3: Autumnal, noble, and tender; its third movement contains one of the most haunting melodies in the symphonic literature. Listen on YouTube
  • Puccini — “Nessun Dorma” (from Turandot): The famous aria from Puccini’s final opera, and a fixture on nearly everyone’s list of favorites. Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

The Romantic repertoire is the backbone of any orchestra’s season, and 2026–2027 is no exception:

Section 6: The 20th Century and Contemporary Era (1900–Present)

Overview

The past century has been defined by experimentation and diversity: impressionism’s shimmering colors, atonality’s break from traditional harmony, minimalism’s hypnotic repetition, and countless individual voices in between. Much of this era’s most enduring orchestral music was written for the ballet, particularly the works commissioned by the Ballets Russes in Paris, which have thoroughly entered the concert mainstream. And importantly for the newcomer: this era is still being written. Living composers continue to produce vital, exciting music.

Key Composers

  • Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) — Revolutionary of rhythm and orchestration; his ballet scores changed music forever.
  • Claude Debussy (1862–1918) — Father of musical impressionism.
  • Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) — Pioneer of atonality and the twelve-tone method.
  • Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) — Chronicler of the Soviet century in fifteen searing symphonies.
  • Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) — Composer of ballets, symphonies, and concertos of biting wit and soaring lyricism.
  • Philip Glass (b. 1937) — Leading voice of minimalism, and still composing today.
  • Nicola Campogrande (b. 1969) — A contemporary Italian composer whose engaging, energetic works demonstrate that new music can be immediately rewarding.

Recommended Listening

  • Stravinsky — “The Firebird”: Composed for the Ballets Russes in Paris, this dazzling score launched Stravinsky’s career and remains an ideal entry point to twentieth-century music. Listen on YouTube
  • Prokofiev — “Romeo and Juliet”: One of the greatest of all ballet scores; the death scene is capable of moving even seasoned concertgoers to tears. Listen on YouTube
  • Philip Glass — “The American Four Seasons”: A modern answer to Vivaldi from minimalism’s most famous living voice. Listen on YouTube
  • Nicola Campogrande — “Décisément Allegro”: Proof that contemporary classical music can be vivid, joyful, and instantly likable. If you believe you “don’t like contemporary music,” start here: Listen on YouTube

Hear It Live: NSO 2026–2027 Season

This season is exceptionally rich in twentieth-century and living-composer repertoire, including two world premieres of NSO co-commissions:

  • Carlos Simon — Monuments: A Suite for D.C. (NSO premiere) and Respighi — La Boutique fantasque | Saturday, September 26, 2026 Opening night pairs a new orchestral portrait of the capital by one of America’s most-performed living composers with Respighi’s glittering 1919 ballet after Rossini. Carlos Simon on Monuments, with excerpts, on YouTube · La Boutique fantasque on YouTube (complete ballet)
  • Ravel — Boléro | October 1–2, 2026 Ravel’s hypnotic 1928 crescendo, one long melody, one long drumbeat, one overwhelming musical climax, closes the Scheherazade program. Listen on YouTube (Valery Gergiev, London Symphony)
  • Prokofiev — Symphony No. 5 and Stravinsky — Scènes de Ballet | October 8–10, 2026 Noseda conducts Prokofiev’s monumental wartime symphony, written in 1944 and charged with struggle and hard-won optimism, alongside Stravinsky’s ballet score and Haydn’s Symphony No. 85. Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 on YouTube (Dudamel, Berliner Philharmoniker) · Stravinsky Scènes de Ballet on YouTube (with score)
  • John Adams — Scheherazade.2 | October 15–16, 2026 | Center for the Arts at George Mason University A season highlight for the adventurous: the celebrated American composer John Adams conducts his own dramatic symphony for violin and orchestra, with Leila Josefowicz, the violinist for whom it was written, as soloist. The program opens with Piazzolla’s Three Tangos (arranged by Adams) and Prokofiev’s witty Lieutenant Kijé Suite. Scheherazade.2 on YouTube (Josefowicz, St. Louis Symphony, Robertson — complete) · Piazzolla Tres Tangos on YouTube · Lieutenant Kijé Suite on YouTube
  • Joan Tower — Love Returns (NSO co-commission) | October 22–23, 2026 | Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Saxophonist Steven Banks stars in a new concerto by the dean of American women composers, under Leonard Slatkin, alongside Slatkin’s own Schubertiade and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3. Love Returns is too new for a widely available recording; to prepare, sample Tower’s earlier orchestral music, or simply come and hear it fresh.
  • Sarah Kirkland Snider — Urge (world premiere, NSO co-commission) | November 12 & 14, 2026 | Lisner Auditorium Bass-baritone Will Liverman gives the world premiere of Snider’s new work setting texts by poet Tracy K. Smith, conducted by Teddy Abrams. Witnessing a world premiere of music no audience has ever heard is one of concert-going’s rarest thrills. By definition there is no recording to preview; that is precisely the point.
  • Prokofiev — Cinderella Suite | Friday, November 20, 2026 Prokofiev’s playful, clever fairy-tale ballet music, paired with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Listen on YouTube (Suite No. 1, with score)
  • Slava! — Weinberg — Cello Concerto and Shostakovich — Symphony No. 10 | February 11–12, 2027 A centennial tribute to legendary cellist and former NSO Music Director Mstislav Rostropovich, who led the orchestra from 1977 to 1994. Sol Gabetta performs the deeply expressive Weinberg concerto that Rostropovich premiered seventy years earlier, followed by Shostakovich’s searing Tenth Symphony. Weinberg Cello Concerto on YouTube (Claes Gunnarsson, Gothenburg Symphony) · Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 on YouTube (Dudamel, BBC Proms 2007)
  • Raskatov/Rachmaninoff — Corelli Variations (world premiere orchestration, NSO co-commission) | February 18–20, 2027 A brand-new orchestral garment for Rachmaninoff’s late piano masterpiece. The orchestration is new, but you can hear the original piano version now. Listen on YouTube (Nikolai Lugansky, piano)
  • Rodrigo — Concierto Pastoral | April 8–10, 2027 NSO Principal Flute Aaron Goldman steps out of the orchestra and into the spotlight — a reminder that the musicians you watch each week are world-class soloists in their own right. Listen on YouTube (Lisa Hansen, Royal Philharmonic)
  • Prokofiev — Piano Concerto No. 3 | April 16–17, 2027 Beatrice Rana performs the most dazzling of Prokofiev’s concertos before Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony. Listen on YouTube (Martha Argerich, André Previn, London Symphony)
  • Lutosławski — Piano Concerto | June 2027 season finale (date at nationalsymphony.org) Denis Kozhukhin performs the Polish master’s kaleidoscopic concerto as the classical season concludes, on a program with Augustin Hadelich in Brahms’s Violin Concerto. Listen on YouTube (Krystian Zimerman, BBC Symphony, conducted by the composer)

Section 7: How to Prepare for a Concert

Attending a live performance is the best way to deepen your appreciation of this music. A little preparation goes a long way.

Attending the NSO in 2026–2027: What’s Different This Season

The NSO’s 2026–2027 season is unlike any in its history: with the Kennedy Center Concert Hall closed for renovation, the orchestra performs at six venues across the region: The Music Center at Strathmore (North Bethesda, MD), the Center for the Arts at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA), Lisner Auditorium at The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.), the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College (Alexandria, VA), The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD), and the Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.). For the newcomer, this is genuinely good news: the same world-class orchestra may be playing minutes from your home, in smaller halls where every seat is close to the stage.  Roughly 2.5 million residents of the DMV live withing 15 minutes of one of these venues compared with the 700,000 who live within 15 minutes of the Kennedy Center.  Take advantage of your proximity to enjoy world-class music!

Practical notes for this season specifically:

  • Buy tickets through each venue’s box office. Unlike past seasons, tickets are sold directly by the presenting venue, not through a single central box office. Find your concert at nationalsymphony.org, then purchase through the corresponding venue.
  • Note the rolling on-sale dates. Fall 2026 concerts are on sale now; Winter 2026–27 concerts go on sale to the public October 28, 2026, and Spring 2027 concerts on December 23, 2026 (with earlier access for NSO members and patrons).
  • Check the venue before you leave home. With six different halls in rotation, parking, transit, and arrival logistics differ from concert to concert. The same program may also repeat at more than one venue — pick the night and location most convenient for you.

Before You Buy Tickets

  • Start with something familiar. For a first concert, look for a program that includes at least one piece you recognize or have sampled from this guide.
  • Consider the venue and seat. Nearly every seat in a professional concert hall sounds good. Mid-orchestra and first-balcony seats often offer the best blend of sound; seats behind or beside the orchestra can be less expensive and offer a fascinating view of the conductor.

In the Days Before

  • Listen to the program in advance. Streaming a recording of each piece once or twice beforehand transforms the live experience. Familiar music reveals far more in the concert hall.
  • Read about the program early if you can. Learning a work’s backstory — who wrote it, when, and why — gives the music context and meaning.
  • Learn the shape of the pieces. Note how many movements each work has (this matters for applause — see Section 8) and roughly how long the concert runs. Most orchestral concerts last about two hours, including a twenty-minute intermission.

On the Day

  • Dress comfortably but neatly. Contrary to popular belief, formal attire is not required. “Business casual” is typical; some patrons dress up, others wear jeans. You will not be turned away for lack of a jacket.
  • Arrive early. Plan to be in your seat fifteen to twenty minutes before the downbeat. This leaves time for parking, coat check, restrooms, and reading the program. Latecomers are typically held in the lobby until a suitable pause in the music.
  • Eat beforehand. Concert halls generally do not permit food or drink in the auditorium, and a two-hour concert is long on an empty stomach.
  • Silence your phone. Completely. Turn it off or to airplane mode before entering the hall, not just to vibrate. A buzzing phone is nearly as disruptive as a ringing one.

Section 8: Concert Etiquette

Concert etiquette exists for one reason: to protect everyone’s ability to hear the music. None of it is complicated, and audiences are far more welcoming than the stereotype suggests.

When to Clap

This is the question every newcomer asks, and here is the simple rule:

Applaud at the end of a complete work, not between its movements.

Many pieces — symphonies, concertos, sonatas — are divided into several movements separated by brief pauses. The tradition is to hold applause through those pauses and clap only when the entire work concludes.

Practical tips:

  • Check the program. It lists each work’s movements (e.g., “I. Allegro — II. Andante — III. Rondo”). Count as you go, and you will always know where you are.
  • Watch the conductor. This is the most reliable signal. If the conductor’s arms remain raised, the piece is not over. When the conductor’s arms drop fully and he or she relaxes or turns toward the audience, applause is welcome.
  • When in doubt, wait a beat. Let the audience around you begin, then join in. There is no penalty for being half a second behind.
  • Don’t panic if you clap in the wrong place. It happens a lot, and occasionally an ecstatic movement genuinely earns spontaneous applause. Musicians understand enthusiasm.

A few special cases:

  • At the opera, applause conventions are looser: audiences often applaud after big arias, and shouts of “Bravo!” are traditional.
  • At choral or sacred performances in churches, applause is sometimes omitted entirely; follow the lead of the audience.
  • When a soloist or ensemble first walks onstage, applaud to welcome them. Applaud again when the conductor enters.

If You Really Enjoy the Music

Enthusiasm is not only permitted, it is the point. Here is how to express it:

  • Clap generously at the end. Sustained applause is the audience’s primary voice.
  • Shout “Bravo!” for an outstanding performance. (Traditionalists use “Brava!” for a female performer and “Bravi!” for an ensemble, but any of these communicates delight.)
  • Stand. A standing ovation is the highest compliment an audience can pay. If you are moved to stand, stand. You will rarely be alone.
  • Keep applauding through the bows. Performers typically return to the stage one or more times if applause continues; this is called a “curtain call.” At recitals and some orchestral concerts, sustained applause may even earn an encore (a short bonus piece).
  • Tell the musicians afterward. Many performers greet audience members in the lobby after a concert. A sincere “thank you” means a great deal.

During the Performance

  • Stay as still and quiet as you comfortably can. Whispering, unwrapping candy, and rummaging through bags carry surprisingly far in a good hall.
  • Suppress coughs when possible. If a cough is unavoidable, aim for a loud passage. If you brought cough drops, unwrap them before the music begins.
  • No photos, video, or recording during the performance unless the venue explicitly permits it. The glow of a screen distracts performers and audience alike.
  • Stay until the end. Leaving mid-performance is disruptive; if you must exit, do so between works or at intermission.

A Final Word

Every seasoned concertgoer was once a newcomer wondering when to clap. The musician and other audience members want you there: live music depends on new listeners, and the community is genuinely glad to welcome you. Prepare a little, listen a lot, and let the music do the rest.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com