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Classical Music Audience Etiquette

For classical music concerts, there are a few guidelines for audience
etiquette that you should be familiar with. (Etiquette means what is
considered good manners.) You can learn a lot just by noticing what happens
at the concert, but here are a few tips.

Classical music audiences need silence during performances, and performers
need the audience to be quiet! There are a number of sounds that can be
distracting, including unwrapping candies, whispering, people leaving or
taking their seats unexpectedly, flipping pages in the program, beeping
wristwatches, ringing cell phones, etc. You might find it interesting to
listen to the sounds around you during the concert. When is the audience
quiet? When do people cough? What's happening on-stage when the audience is
making noise? What happens when an unexpected noise occurs? You might also
enjoy listening for unexpected noises coming from the orchestra.

Classical concertgoers tend to dress formally, reflecting the more
traditional atmosphere of the concert hall. You might try observing those
around you and noticing how they dress. Or you can watch the concertgoers
filing past as they enter the theater and take note. How do the older people
dress? What about the middle-aged people? Do you see any young children? -
if so, how are they dressed?

Knowing when to clap can sometimes be tricky. Sometimes you might think a
piece of music is finished and be ready to clap, but then notice that no one
else is applauding. Some pieces of classical music are made up of more than
one section. Each section is called a 'movement'. Symphonies and concertos
generally have more than one movement. The audience tends to clap only at
the end of the final movement, but sometimes if the music is especially
stirring, applause will break out when a movement finishes, even if the
whole piece isn't done. You can usually figure out how many movements a
piece has by reading your program. If you're unsure when to clap, try
watching those around you to see when the applause begins. And notice if
there is any clapping at an unexpected time: When does it happen?

Don’t rush to leave the performance when it’s over! This is the time for
the audience to thank the conductor and the musicians for their hard work on
the stage. There could also be an encore you might miss. Sometimes the
conductor or soloist is called back once, twice or more to receive applause
or to play additional pieces. This is a good time to pay close attention to
what's happening in the audience and on-stage. How long does the audience
applaud before the conductor comes back out? How many times does he come out
before he plays an encore? You can watch and see if there are any encores
and listen for the final applause to die down before deciding to exit the
theater.

... And when you're one your way out, it might be interesting to listen for
other people's comments about the performance. Are they happy with the
performance? Are they complaining about anything? Are people talking mostly
about one particular piece or player? Sometimes these comments can help you
think about your own reaction to the music.

Enjoy your concertgoing!