EDUCATION » Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What should I expect at the concert?

• The musicians come out on stage to ‘warm up’ before the concert begins, just like athletes do before a game. When everyone is ready, the orchestra becomes silent.
• The concertmaster enters. When he walks on stage, it is the audience’s cue to applaud.
• Orchestra London’s concertmaster is Joseph Lanza.
• The concertmaster bows, and signals to the oboe to play an ‘A’ to tune the orchestra.
• When everyone is in tune, the concertmaster takes his seat at the front of the first violins and the orchestra becomes silent.
• The conductor comes on stage, bows and faces the orchestra to start the concert.
• Music may have more than one movement. It is customary to only applaud once the whole piece is over.
• Certain pieces of music may have solos for individual instruments. At the end of the piece, the conductor usually acknowledges these musicians by asking them to stand.
• Listen for how the different instruments sound and how they combine to make music.

Question: Where are the instruments located on stage?

Orchestral musicians sit in groups according to the instruments they play. Different orchestras may have slightly different set ups, but most symphony orchestras, like Orchestra London, use the seating showed below.