Ticket Prices
The simple answer is that single ticket prices range from $21 to $54 depending on the seat you select. However, because we want as many people as possible to enjoy the Eureka Symphony as much as they can, we offer a few options:
Season Tickets
If you buy 5-concert season package, you get a 15% discount and your seats are held for future season renewals (we know how some people like particular locations from which to enjoy the music). Other advantages include: exchange tickets up to 48 hours in advance of a concert, get the same discount if you want to buy additional single tickets for individual concerts, and if you lose your ticket, we can replace it. Four concert packages get a 10% discount and if you choose to only attend three concerts a season, you receive a 5% discount.
Full-time students get a 50% discount on season tickets.
Rush Tickets
For those who don’t want to commit early, we offer what we call RUSH tickets. If you have cash on you, you can purchase tickets at the door one hour before the concert—Student RUSH tickets are $10 and Adult RUSH tickets are $15 for remaining available seats for that concert.
Children’s Tickets
Good news for parents! Children aged 5-12 are admitted free, 2 children per paid adult ticket. So, if both parents pay to attend, that means 4 children can get in free.
The earlier you arrive, the easier it is to find a place to park either on the street or in parking lots. There is a parking lot directly across from the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, plus two other public parking lots on 3rd Street between F and H Streets.
Concerts start promptly at 7:30p.m. and typically run 90-120 minutes depending on the pieces in the program that night, including an intermission.
What do you feel comfortable wearing? This is Humboldt County, so while many attendees take advantage of the occasion to dress up, you will also find other people dressed more casually. No one will be judging you, we are all here for the live music experience!
Yes, you can buy wine, soft drinks and cookies at the main level bar prior to the concert and during intermission. All concession proceeds go to North Coast Dance. However, we ask that you finish your drink before entering the concert hall. There are also water fountains in the lobby.
That’s a good question! There are two single restrooms in the main lobby behind the concessions stand, but there are two other restrooms with more stalls available on the floors above and below the main lobby (stairs to both are to the right as you come into the lobby from the street, past the ticket office.
You can do a little bit of your own research online, since the pieces to be played at each concert are listed on the website. However, if you enjoy a more personal touch, you have two good options:
- We offer a free Musical Notes lecture at 6:30p.m. prior to each concert. The lecture is typically hosted by concertmaster Terrie Baune and pianist John Chernoff, but sometimes other guest artists join in. You will learn about the composers and pieces to be played that evening, plus fascinating facts about the era and its music.
- On the Monday before every concert you can join Elizabeth Morrison’s “Live & Local” OLLI Special Interest Group on Zoom. She provides an in-depth discussion and preview of the music, and it’s free to OLLI members. For more information please visit https://extended.humboldt.edu/olli/courses/special-interest-groups/special-interest-group-live-and-local
Another good question. A principal is the leader of the group or section of musicians playing a particular instrument in the symphony. They are responsible for leading the section and playing solos. You’ll note that violins in the orchestra are typically divided into two sections called first violins and second violins. The concertmaster is the principal for the first violins and makes decisions about bowing and other technical details of string playing, but is also responsible for leading all orchestra sections in tuning before rehearsals and concerts. The concertmaster also helps with other technical aspects of managing the orchestra.
First off, that “stick” our conductor uses is called a baton. The conductor’s movement of the baton communicates many things to the musicians, including tempo, tone and whatever other guidance they need to play the score. While the concertmaster and principal musicians are leaders in their sections, the conductor is key to bringing the music and the musicians together to make a spectacular and moving performance for the audience. Without a conductor, each musician would likely go their own way and the result would be a cacophony. The conductor’s role is to interpret the score, prepare the musicians during rehearsals to get the most out of the music and lead the musicians during the actual performance. Note that in addition to the baton that you see, the conductor will also use other hand gestures or signals as well as eye contact with different performers throughout the symphony to give instruction to the musicians.
Is that really a question? Long ago, classical music audiences were rowdy and would clap and talk during a performance. In the 20th century, audiences changed and people started clapping only at the end of the entire piece of music and not at the end of each movement in that piece. While that “no clapping until the very end of the piece” tradition is still in place, no one should feel embarrassed if they clap out of appreciation of the music (or they forgot which movement just ended).
Please turn off your cell phones during the concert, even vibrating phones can be heard during quiet moment in the music.
If you arrive late, the ushers will seat you following the completion of the first work on the program. No seating is allowed while the symphony is performing.
You can take photos before the concert begins, during intermission or after the concert has ended, just not during the performance. If you get a good photo and want to share it, don’t forget to tag the Eureka Symphony in it!