Welcome Guide
Get ready for a noteworthy experience at Maurice Abravanel Hall! We’ve prepared this guide especially for you to help answer any questions about your upcoming visit. Scroll through for all the tips and tricks you’ll need to make the most of your concert experience or jump ahead by clicking any of these buttons:
Getting To (and into) Your Concert
WHERE TO FIND US
Maurice Abravanel Hall is located on the corner of South Temple and West Temple. If you are riding TRAX, the Temple Square Station stops right in front of Abravanel Hall. There are multiple parking garages close to Abravanel Hall. See details here.
WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?
Most symphony concerts start at 7:30 PM, but please check your tickets or our website to confirm the start time. We suggest you allow plenty of time for traffic and parking. Most of our audience likes to be in their seat by about ten minutes before the performance. That will give you some time to read the program notes and enjoy being in Maurice Abravanel Hall.
WHERE CAN I FIND MY TICKETS?
Upon entering Maurice Abravanel Hall, you will need to present your ticket(s). Find out more about mobile ticketing here.
WHAT IF I’M LATE?
Most of our performances have late seating after the first piece or movement. If you do arrive late, you will wait in the lobby until a pause when the ushers can seat you. Don’t worry; there are video monitors and speakers in the lobby, so you won’t miss the concert. Read more here.
HOW LONG WILL THE CONCERT BE?
Most concerts are between an hour and a half to two hours long, including the intermission.
Inside Maurice Abravanel Hall
HOW DO I GET MY BEARINGS?
If you are in the lobby on the main floor of Abravanel Hall, the Gift Shop, Coat Check, and Refreshment booth are all located on the south side of the lobby. The Ticket Office, Will-Call and the Restrooms are located down the west stairs. The First Tier Room is in the southwest corner of the first floor—one level above the main lobby floor (take the grand staircase up one level or the elevator to 1). If you need help, the ushers in the lobby can point you in the right direction.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
The simple answer is: whatever you feel comfortable in. Most of the audience is comfortable in business, or business casual attire, but at the symphony you’ll see the whole spectrum of dress, from tuxedos to jeans and sneakers. If you’re celebrating, we’d love to see you dressed up to the nines!
During the Concert
BE COURTEOUS
Please refrain from the following activities while in the concert hall:
- Talking during the performance. The acoustics in the hall are very sensitive. Talking and other sounds are audible to the musicians and other patrons. Please be respectful of others enjoying the performance.
- Recording or photographing the performance
- Using phones during a performance. The screens can be distracting to other patrons.
Eating inside the concert hall is not allowed. If you need to unwrap a cough drop or similar item, please wait until the pause between movements, or until the piece has ended.
KNOW WHEN TO APPLAUD
You’ll clap a few times throughout the night. First, we clap when the Concertmaster (first violin section leader) comes on stage to tune the orchestra. Next, we clap when the conductor and any guest artists walk on stage. If the piece has more than one movement, try to hold your applause until after the final movement of each piece. The pieces and movements are listed in your program, or you can look them up beforehand on our website. If you are unsure if it’s appropriate to clap, watch for the conductor to drop their arms.
Enhance Your Experience
PRE-CONCERT TALKS
For Masterworks performances, join us in the First Tier Room for pre-concert chats about the program with guest artists and symphony musicians, held 45 minutes prior to the performance start time.
PREPARE WITH PROGRAM NOTES
Background on how and why the composer wrote the piece. For this, you can read the program notes for the concert. They are on our website on the concert page, or in your program. The program notes will give you an idea of which instruments will be playing, when the piece was written, and any fun anecdotes about the composer.
PLAN FOR YOUR NEXT VISIT
If you like what you hear, remember the composer’s name. You can look on our website for other concerts featuring the same composer, and that can be an easy way to start to familiarize yourself with classical music.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL
Abravanel Hall is a concert hall in downtown Salt Lake City that is home to the Utah Symphony. Built in 1979, the hall is named for Maurice Abravanel, the long-time conductor of the Symphony and champion of classical music throughout Utah. Learn more about this architectural landmark here.
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Still Have Questions?
Our expert Patron Services team is ready to assist you through our online Contact Us form or by phone at (801) 533-NOTE (6683), Monday through Friday, 12 PM to 6 PM.