You’ll probably recognize far more than you would have imagined. Many of today’s popular songs, television shows, and movies use classical themes, including the “Lone Ranger” theme (Rossini’s William Tell Overture), the Bugs Bunny cartoon “What’s Opera, Doc?” (Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries), Billy Joel’s “This Night” (Beethoven’s Pathetique Piano Sonata), to name just a few. 

Children are welcome at all symphony performances.  However, For the enjoyment of everyone, we respectfully ask that you give serious consideration to the type of music being performed and your child’s age and attention span before purchasing a ticket for your child. We also suggest to introduce the little ones to the symphony through our FREE 4th of July Concert and our Annual FREE Family Concert. These concerts are great for kids to get to know the symphony. 

All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter the theater. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian and must have a ticket for a seat adjacent to the adult.

Contrary to what many people think, formal attire—such as tuxedos and evening gowns—is not required at Philharmonic concerts.  Most of our patrons dress as if they are going out to a nice dinner or to church.  We do ask that you please refrain from wearing perfume or cologne out of consideration for your fellow concert-goers who are allergic. 

We recommend that you arrive at least 30 minutes before the concert start time. By arriving early, you can avoid the parking lot rush and long lines at the ticket window. You’ll also have time to use the rest room, view the art in the lobby and purchase refreshments. If you arrive 40 minutes before, you’ll have the opportunity to attend a pre-concert talk with Maestro Confessore where he will talk about the program. Main floor seating will be open at that time so feel tree to sit up front and ask questions. The talk lasts approximately 20 minutes so you’ll have plenty of time to get to your seat and read over your program.

Most concerts last approximately 2 hours, including a 15 minute intermission. Any significant exceptions to this will be noted on the individual concert page on our web site.  Each performance is divided into two parts with an intermission in the middle.

Generally, you clap only after a piece is finished. For example, if you’re listening to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, which has four movements, it is generally considered appropriate to only clap after the last movement. You can look at your program book to find out how many movements a piece has. Usually, there is a short pause between movements although sometimes there is no discernible gap. If you’re unsure, you’ll know the piece is over when Maestro Confessore turns around to face the audience. However, even though the norm is to remain quiet between movements, if you are moved to clap after a particularly exciting movement, feel free to clap away!

The short answer is:  NOTHING!  Among the top tier orchestras in the US are the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony.  The word “orchestra” refers to a group of musicians performing a concert.  “Symphony” means harmony.  “Philharmonic” is the love of harmony.  Different orchestras may choose their names based on how it sounds with their city or state name, to differentiate it from other orchestras in the same city or area, or just because they like one better than the others. 

Typically there are approximately 65 musicians on stage. The number of musicians depends on the piece being performed. At times we’ve had a smaller orchestra and, at other times, we’ve had as many as 100 musicians on stage.

• Please silence your cell phone once the concertmaster has finished tuning the orchestra and put it away until intermission. A ringing cell phone is very distracting to your fellow audience members, the conductor, and the musicians.  A brightly lit cell phone in an otherwise dark theater is also extremely noticeable to those around you.  At intermission, we encourage you to check in, tweet and post all about your experience, but as a courtesy to everyone else, please refrain from using your cell phone while the performance is underway.
• Talking is also a distraction to those around you. Please be considerate of your fellow audience members and the artists on stage and refrain from talking during the performance.
• Coughing can be an unavoidable problem. But there are ways to minimize coughing during the music. If you feel a cold coming on, please bring lozenges with you and unwrap them before the concert begins. Unwrapping a cough drop during the music makes more noise than you might think.  If you don’t have a lozenge and you need to cough once or twice, please try to wait for the end of the movement if at all possible. If you forgot to bring cough drops, stop by the BSO table for some.
• Flash photography and recording any portion of our concerts is prohibited.

There are a number of restaurants on Wickham Road near the King Center, ranging from fast food to sushi. Snacks and drinks, including a full bar, are available for purchase at the King Center prior to, and during intermission, of all our performances. An ATM is located in the front lobby of the King Center for your convenience.

First…Don’t panic!  We have two options available to make sure you get to the performance on time:

• For subscribers:  If you would like to avoid the lines at the box office the day of the concert and have tickets mailed to you, tickets can be reprinted at a cost of $3 per ticket.  All requests must be made at least two weeks prior to the concert to allow for ample mailing time.  We send all tickets via the USPS, first class.
• All ticket holders:  Lost ticket passes can be obtained from the King Center Box Office the same day as the concert at no charge.  You will need a valid I.D. when requesting and must match name on order of purchase.

If you’ve purchased tickets and are no longer able to go, or find a friend to give them to, please make sure to let us know by donating them back to us!  Although, we can’t issue a refund, we can mail you a letter acknowledging your tax-deductible contribution.   We will be happy to find a local student or other person in the community to give them to on your behalf!

Tickets should be turned in anytime up to 24 hours in advance of your concert. We will be unable to accept any tickets for tax deduction purposes after the concert has begun or passed.  Questions?  Call us at (321) 345.5052.

Please note that ticket donations must be made through the BSO office and not the King Center.

Ticket proceeds only cover approximately one-third of the orchestra’s expenses. Through hundreds of BSO supporters like you, we are able to provide you with six exciting subscription performances as well as many others each season.    If you love what you experienced, help us bring these concerts to life!  $10 goes a long way…Give Now!

The King Center offers a variety of accommodations for guests with disabilities and impairments.  You can visit their website or call the Box Office at (321) 242-2219 for more information.