Students

What should I wear?

Come in something that makes you comfortable. Opera performances and Thursday night Symphony performances generally tend to be a little more formal (church, fraternity/sorority pin, or business meeting attire). Friday night performances and Pops performances are a little more relaxed, so you’ll see people in jeans and Chucks to dresses.

How can I buy tickets?

There are 3 different ways to buy tickets. First, you can order them through this website-click "Buy Tickets" at the top of this page and follow the directions. Second, you may buy them by calling the CSO Office at 423.267.8583. Lastly, you can buy them by coming to the Box Office before the show starts and buy them there.

How do I add another ticket if I've already placed an order?

Easy! If you need to add a ticket to your order, call the Box office or visit the ticketing website and order another ticket with your name.

My friends are coming too. Can I sit by them?

Yes, if tickets are available. In order to sit with them, you should let the Ticket Master (the person selling you your tickets), know how many TOTAL tickets you want. If you have 4 friends coming plus you, you want 5 tickets. You can pay for them individually, but you should order them all together.

What time should I come?

The Box Office at the Tivoli opens at 7:00 p.m. on the day of a concert. If you need to buy a ticket, it's best to get there early (between 7 and 7:15), so you can get the best seat. If you are coming to people watch, most people get there about 7:30. Coming at 7:30 will also give you time to find parking, avoid any lines, and browse through the program.

Oh no, I'm going to be late! What do I do?

You should definitely still come! Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m and there is usually time for the Executive Director to speak about the concert and for the Orchestra to tune. But, if you are not seated by the time the Orchestra begins playing the program, you will have to wait until after intermission to take your seat.

How do I get a program book?

After you purchase a ticket, you’ll give it to a greeter and they'll hand you a program book.

What student IDs are accepted?

Student IDs are accepted from all schools, colleges and universities. If you are under age 18, you do not need an Student ID.

I have my ID; How do I know if it is valid?

For a Student ID to be "valid" it must have the current year's date. Most schools provide a sticker for each semester for your Student ID.

I'm probably going to live Tweet about this concert, so I'm keeping my phone on. That's okay, right?

We ask that you turn your phone all the way off when you’re attending a CSO concert. The theatre gets pretty dark and it's easy for our musicians and other guests to become distracted by the light of your cell phone. And, the musicians have worked very hard on the music, so your ringtone or message alert may be an unwelcome sound. Plus, concerts in the Tivoli are recorded for future broadcasts and the vibrating or other sounds could get picked up.

So, because of all of these things, we ask you to keep your cell phone turned off during the performance. If you need light to take notes for your paper, ask the ticket seller to seat you as close to the stage as possible, so you can use the stage lighting for your note-taking enjoyment.

Using your cell phone while the Orchestra is playing could mean that an usher would have to come and escort you out of the theatre.

That was AWESOME! But, when can I clap?

The musicians LOVE to hear people applauding. But, sometimes, in classical music, there are times when you DON'T applaud (weird, right?). In one of our Masterworks concerts, people generally clap after the entire piece is done. There may be three or four "parts" or movements in each piece, but it's best to wait until after the whole thing is done. In our Pops and Opera concerts, it usually depends on the pieces they performed and the people singing.

I've got my ticket and time to spare. Can I get something to eat nearby?

The CSO's concerts are usually in the Tivoli, which is only a few blocks away from restaurants and shops! Head to the Starbucks in the Sheraton Read House (2 blocks away), Panera Bread (3 blocks away, towards the River), or Big River Grille (a little bit of a walk at 5 blocks, but you can do it!). After the concert, head over to City Café (3 blocks) where CSO musicians and Guest Artists might be hanging out.