What You Can Expect

Concerts at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music are performed by students, staff and visiting guest musicians and have lower ticket prices than many other concerts in Sydney. This does not reflect the quality of the playing. In sporting terms, the Conservatorium trains musicians like the Australian Institute of Sport trains sports people. Students practice long hours and study hard to achieve excellence in the music profession. Part of their training incorporates public performances, so people coming to concerts presented by the Conservatorium can see the stars of tomorrow as well as many of the renowned musicians that make up our faculty staff. And not all concerts are the same, some feature jazz, percussion, early music, chamber music (small groups of musicians without a conductor) choral music and opera.

If this is your first visit to a classical music concert here are some answers to some frequently asked questions to help you make your experience more enjoyable.

How do I buy tickets?
What is classical music?
How do I know if I’ll like it?
Can I bring my children?
What should I wear?
When should I arrive?
How long is a typical performance?
When should I clap?
Can I bring my mobile phone?
Can I take pictures?
What are all the different instruments?
Will I enjoy it?
How can I find out more about classical music?

How do I buy tickets?
Tickets to our concerts can be purchased in a number of ways. The City Recital Hall at Angel Place in Sydney is an agent for selling our tickets. The box office is are open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and you can go there during these times and buy tickets over the counter. They can show you a diagram of the seating plan, you can select your tickets and take them with you. If getting to the city is difficult, you can phone 02 8256 2222 and order your tickets to be sent to you in the mail. You will need to have your credit card handy when you call and allow 3 days for mailing. If you allow less than 3 days, your tickets will be sent to the Conservatorium for you to collect when you come to the concert. You can also buy on-line. Return to the home page and click on ‘concerts’, scroll down to the concert you want to buy for, and the links will take you through the process. Again, you will need your credit card for payment. The procedure for mailing tickets purchased on-line is the same as for phone bookings. You will have reserved seats, which will be the best seats available at the time of purchase. Phone and on-line bookings may incur a booking fee.

Remember, that the City Recital Hall is not open on weekends, or public holidays, so if you make a last minute decision to come to a concert you will have to buy your tickets at the Conservatorium before the concert. Tickets are available for sale at the Conservatorium, forty five minutes prior to each concert.

What is classical music?
Like many forms of music, defining exactly what falls into the category 'classical' is difficult. Generally, classical music is played by ensembles comprised of some or all of the families of instruments: strings, woodwind, brass & percussion, and has been written any time from the 14th century right up to the present day.

How do I know if I’ll like it?
The best way to find out is to try it! If you've seen an Austin Powers movie, then you've heard Beethoven, Elgar and J.Strauss II; the movie Amadeus of course featured the music of Mozart, as did Alien; The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert include a memorable scene accompanied by Verdi's music; and the movie The Addams Family Values includes some Mendelssohn and Wagner. So you may already have experienced some classical music anyway. Classical music isn't just concertos and symphonies – you can hear it everywhere - mobile phone ring tones, adverts, Classic FM and film scores.

Can I bring my children?
Children are most welcome at concerts. By the age of eight, many young people will get a lot out of a concert. From time to time there are specially programmed family concerts that are particularly suited to a younger age range.

What should I wear?
Many people attending a concert treat it as a special occasion and therefore, enjoy dressing up a bit, however it is entirely up to you. There is no set dress code and you should wear whatever you feel most comfortable in. The most important thing is that you feel relaxed and enjoy the music. If the concert has the word 'Gala' in the title, it may be better to leave the jeans at home in favour of something a little more formal, but by and large no one will notice or care what you are wearing.

When should I arrive?
It is probably best to arrive at the concert hall at least half an hour before the performance starts. This will give you some extra time to collect your booked tickets, buy any pre-performance drinks and programs that you may require and generally get comfortable before the concert begins.

To help reduce distracting noises during the performances, there are usually designated pauses in each programme when late arrivals will be able to be seated. If you arrive late, we recommend that you wait close to your seating area's entrance so that you can be seated as soon as the pause occurs. If you have to leave a concert before its end, please do so between program works.

How long is a typical performance?
Program length varies, but a typical orchestral performance lasts about two hours, including one interval. Some of our other concerts and recitals last about an hour without an interval. You can always ask the box office for an estimated length.

When do I clap?
When a piece is complete. It can be difficult to tell when a piece is over, so a good tip is to watch out for the conductor. Conductors will hold still at the end of a piece, and then noticeably relax, put their arms by their sides and turn to face the audience to receive their applause. It is great anyway to enjoy the moment of silence just after the piece has finished. If you are unsure as to whether the piece has finished, wait for someone else to clap!

Many works in classical music, such as a Beethoven symphony or Mozart piano concerto, have three or more movements or sections, with a short pause in between each of them. It has become customary over time not to clap during these short pauses. To find out the number of movements (and corresponding number of pauses) in a piece, turn to the program page in your concert program - you will find works are sub-divided by movement (usually indicated by tempo markings in Italian). After the last movement, you can clap to your heart's content.

Can I bring my mobile phone?
All telephone equipment should be turned off prior to entering the concert hall. Patrons wearing alarm watches and/or electronic paging systems are requested to also turn them off before entering the concert hall. Please contact the house manager before entering the auditorium if emergency notification might be required.

Can I take pictures?
Cameras as well as other recording devices can create major distractions for the musicians and audience members around you. As a result, no cameras, video cameras or tape recorders are permitted in concert halls.

What are all the different instruments?

The instruments at the front of the stage are the strings. On the left hand side of the stage are the violins, the highest member of the family, followed from left to right by the violas and cellos, and finally the double basses at the back on the right.

Behind the strings sit the woodwind, generally in two rows. In the first row come the flutes and oboes, and behind them are the clarinets and bassoons. Depending on what piece is being played, you might also see the piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet or contra bassoon to help out playing very high or low notes.

Behind the woodwind you'll see the brass. On the left of the stage are the French horns, and on the right trumpets, trombones and finally tubas. At the very back of the stage come the percussion, dominated by the timpani (kettle drums).

A good place to find out what the instruments look and sound like is the Encounter Section on the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra web site (http://www.mso.com.au/cpa/htm/htm_article.asp?page_id=49). Here you will be able to experiment with musical instruments and learn to recognise their shape and sounds.

Will I enjoy it?
We hope so, but everyone has different tastes. If you don't know what you like, try and pick something you've heard on TV or at the cinema and enjoyed.

Even if you don't know the pieces, chances are you'll enjoy something in the program (if you, don't there's always the interval!). If you're new to classical music try one of our Lunchbreak Concerts on Wednesdays. They last for under an hour and admission is by gold coin donation. On Friday evenings at 6.00pm, our Conductors Series featuring our student orchestras with a guest conductor frequently contains well known works in their programs. Some of these concerts are repeated on Saturdays at 4.00pm.

How can I find out more about classical music?
Many concerts have pre or post concert events, designed to enhance your concert-going experience. From players' perspectives to discussions with composers, often illustrated with live or recorded examples, you are certain to discover something new! Ask at the box office for details when you book.

Adapted from information from Audiences Central, Birmingham