Frequently Asked Questions

We encourage concert-goers to feel comfortable when attending a concert. Some people enjoy getting dressed up for a night at the concert hall; on the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with jeans. If you dress as if you were going out to dinner, you won’t feel out of place.

Arriving 30 minutes before the concert begins will give you plenty of time to find a good seat and socialize with your fellow concert-goers before the program starts.

The program length varies, but a typical concert lasts approximately 90 minutes, including one intermission. Please feel free to visit our reception where refreshments are provided after the concert!

Tickets can be purchased prior to the concert by visiting our ticketing page on this Web site. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. At present time, only cash or checks are accepted at the door.

PSSO strives to keep its ticket prices low and affordable. To do this, we save on postage costs and do not mail tickets for online sales. All tickets purchased online will be held at will-call. See the will-call attendants to the left of the ticket sales line when you enter the lobby. The lobby will be open one hour before the concert.

We request that you turn off all cellular phones and pages before entering the concert hall. As the acoustics of a concert hall are designed to carry the human voice, please refrain from talking and whispering as this can be very distracting to performers and concert-goers. Smoking is not permitted inside the building and food/drinks (except water) are not permitted inside the auditorium.

Yes and encouraged! The length of the programs might be a bit much for the very young but for the interested it can be a rewarding experience. However, if you find that your children are having a difficult time remaining seated and quiet during the performance, we ask that you quietly take them to the lobby.

The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time. We like to begin all concerts on time so please allow plenty of time to unload passengers, park and find your seats before the concert begins. Auditorium doors are closed when the program begins. If you do arrive late, please wait by the entry doors until the piece is finished and then quietly take your seat. If you must leave before the conclusion of a performance, we request that you only do so between program works in order not to disturb other patrons. All concerts are open seating and there are two rows reserved for our season ticket holders.

Cameras as well as other recording devices can create major distractions for the musicians and audience members around you. As a result, no still, video cameras or tape recorders of any kind are permitted. We also ask that concertgoers refrain from using their cell phones during the performance as the light from those devices can also be distracting.

There are two reasons to applaud at a symphony performance – as a greeting and as appreciation. In orchestral concerts it’s become traditional to applaud only at the very end of each work. A lot of the music we play is made up of several distinct sections (‘movements’) with brief pauses between, and most concertgoers have discovered that it’s usually better to remain quiet during these pauses so the mood of the music is not broken. The conductor’s and musicians’ body-language will usually signal when it’s time to clap, but if you’re still not sure, wait for other people to start.

Town Hall is fully ADA-accessible.

PSSO performs at Town Hall in Seattle on First Hill. Town Hall is conveniently located at Eighth Avenue and Seneca Street. Town Hall’s location offers easy access to and from the I-5 freeway. For detailed directions, visit our Location & Directions page.