What to expect at your Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concert experience.
Are you new to the orchestra?
We love welcoming new people to our concerts! Listening to music at home can stir your emotions but nothing beats the thrill of a live orchestral experience.
The best part is that you don’t need to worry about wearing a formal outfit or breaking any ‘rules’.
Here we answer some common questions about what to expect, including what to wear, how early to arrive, whether to bring the kids and when to clap.
We plan each concert for the pleasure of our audience, from compact and thrilling one-hour performances to our magnificent Federation Concert Hall series.
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t expect, it is a stuffy concert experience. Our musicians are all members of the Tasmanian community, and we’re here to perform music that exists because composers wanted people to enjoy it.
If you’re new to the orchestra you may like to try one of our 6pm Series concerts, which are hosted by our MC Will Newbery, who also plays in our viola section. Will introduces each work and audience members tell us they appreciate his light-hearted manner and fascinating insights.
Classical music pieces are often divided into distinct sections called movements. Each movement can sound so thrilling that after it’s finished and the musicians pause, you may want to leap out of your seat and give our musicians a standing ovation.
But those around you will often remain silent. Why aren’t they clapping?
It has nothing to do with enjoyment, and everything to do with tradition. Some famous composers felt their music should flow without any distractions. But we’ve reached the 21st Century – and you can break tradition if you’re inspired to make some noise.
As our Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Eivind Aadland says, ‘there are no rules’ when it comes to listening to classical music. ‘If you applaud in the “wrong place” between movements, it's not wrong – I love it when people do that,’ Eivind says.
So just come along, enjoy the music, and clap when the moment feels right to you.
You’re welcome to dress up to the nines, but we don’t expect you to. Smart casual is a good place to start. You wouldn’t look out of place in a pair of jeans if that’s what you’ll feel great in.
Sometimes, our musicians love nothing more than putting on a silly outfit to match a concert theme and they absolutely love it when our audience members join in the fun.
The best way to enjoy a TSO concert is to be fully present, so switch your phone to silent, and immerse yourself in each once-in-a-lifetime performance experience.
There will be time to capture your memories before and after the concerts. Feel free to take a snapshot before the music begins, or when the performers take their final bow. Just remember to turn off the flash.
You can tag us @tasmaniansymphonyorchestra and #TasmanianSymphonyOrchestra if you’re sharing your memories.
We recommend arriving 30 minutes before the concert. If you’re running late, don’t panic. Our friendly box office staff will be there to usher you to your seat.
If you’re in Federation Concert Hall, the Atrium Bar is open to drinks before the concert, so you could settle in for a chat before the bell rings to signal that it’s time to find your seat. There’ll also be drinks in the foyer.
You can find further details here to help you plan your visit including accessibility arrangements for drop-off, entry, and seating that’s right for you.
Our Obscura series is held at Hobart’s Odeon Theatre, where the bar staff make a pre-concert cocktail to match the theme of each event. Doors open at 5pm, so there’s plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere before the show starts at 6pm.
See information on all of our main venues here.
We love seeing children encounter the magical sounds of the TSO. We’ve even designed a range of Family Concerts that are tailor-made for youngsters. Our Relaxed Concerts are ideal for kids with sensory needs: a small group of friendly musicians will introduce the music and instruments in a welcoming environment.
Federation Concert Hall events are an exciting option for those aged 12 and older. These concerts tend to conclude between 9:30pm-10pm.
For those with an earlier bedtime, our 6pm Series concerts start (as the name of the series suggests) at 6pm and run for about an hour.
Yes! Our musicians love getting out and about around Tasmania.
More than half of TSO activities occur outside of our Hobart concert hall, in schools, communities, health and aged care settings all around the island.
You can search for upcoming public concerts near you by using the Region filter here.
For more information about our schools concerts, visit our Learning & Engagement page.
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