Frequently Asked Questions

A symphony orchestra is a collection of up to about 100 musicians who play instruments of four basic types:

Strings – Includes violins (smallest, and highest in pitch), violas, cellos, and double basses (largest and lowest in pitch).

These players sit in a semicircle directly in front of the conductor and make up more than half the orchestra. Why are there so many? Because the sounds string instruments is soft (relative to louder instruments like trumpets and drums) more are needed to balance the sound between the various sections.

Woodwinds – flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and related instruments.

These players sit a few rows back from the conductor, in the center of the orchestra. They can be hard to see because so many others are around them.

Brass – trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas, and similar instruments.

These instruments are the loudest, so you’ll see them in near rear of the orchestra.

Percussion – drums, bells, and other fascinating things that are struck, plucked, rubbed, etc.

This includes the tympani, the harp, and, on occasion, the piano. Some works use lots of different percussion; others may have a single musician playing the tympani, or no percussion at all. The percussion section is also found around the outside of the orchestra.

Expect to enjoy yourself! This is the time to let go of any preconceptions you may have about classical music or the concert experience. Some things about the concert may seem strange at first (they did to us, too), but if you just focus on the music, you’ll have a great time.

Open yourself up to the music. Feel the rhythms; follow the tunes. Watch the musicians and Maestro; see how they interact with each other. Notice how the music ebbs and flows – surging and powerful at some times, delicate and ephemeral at others.

You will receive a program when entering the auditorium that details all the music that will be played. There will be a short intermission about halfway through to stretch, use the restroom, and enjoy some Symphony Sweets in the lobby.

At the beginning of the concert, the concertmaster will come onstage. The audience claps as a welcome, and as a sign of appreciation to all the musicians. After the orchestra tunes, the conductor and possibly a soloist will come onstage. Everyone claps to welcome them, too. This is also a good moment to make sure your program is open, so you can see the names of the pieces that will be played and their order.

When everything settles down, the music begins. Just listen and enjoy! The audience doesn’t applaud again until the end of the piece. In most classical concerts, unlike jazz or rock, the audience never applauds during the music. They wait until the end of each piece, but this can be a little tricky, because many pieces pause and seem to end several times (these short pauses separate movements.)

So — How do you know if the piece is over? Watch the conductor, who will lower their baton only at the conclusion of a work. When in doubt, it’s always safe to wait and follow what the rest of the audience does.

Our Classical Concerts are where you will hear pieces composed by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bernstein, Grieg, Mozart, Copland, etc.

The POP’s Concerts are where you’ll hear “popular” type music like The Beatles, Queen, movie music, Frank Sinatra, Broadway, etc.

Yes! Check out our season tickets!

Here’s a handy link to Google maps with our address already provided. Just click ‘Directions’, put in your location and you’ll have step-by-step directions just for you!

Not interested in using online maps? Then we presume you know the general area — Just take US-50 to the Dupont Rd. exits and then turn onto Jewell Rd. following the signs to the symphony!

Parking is available at the venue, and while there is a large number of spaces, parking is not unlimited and lots are full for most concerts. We suggest you carpool if possible and arrive early to ensure you have time to park and enter the venue.

Donors, Sustaining Patrons and Sustaining Ticket purchasers may receive Reserved Parking. More information on how to receive reserved parking is on our Venue page.

All concerts will start promptly at 2:30 p.m. Doors to the school open at 1:30 p.m. for tickets sales and pick up, but doors to the auditorium will not open until 2:00 p.m.

At Classical Concerts, we also feature a short, FREE talk on the background and interesting tidbits about the works to be performed from 1:30 to 2:00. Doors open a 1:00 p.m. for these concerts.

There is no dress code! The days of monocles and top hats are over (unless you want to rock those). Anything that makes you feel comfortable is fine. Most people will be wearing business casual— think shirt and slacks or slightly dressy casual clothes — but you’ll see everything from khakis to cocktail dresses. Maybe even <gasp> denim!

Some people do enjoy dressing up and making a special night of it. If you do decide to dress up, though, please go easy on the colognes and perfumes. It can distract others near you and even prompt them to sneeze (which may distract you).

We will note, since the venue is a school, we have no control over the temperature. It may be warmer or cooler than we would prefer. You may want to bring a warm jacket or sweater that you can remove if needed.

Yes. The school is wheelchair accessible. If extra special accommodations are necessary, please contact us so we can make the experience as smooth as possible. You can leave a message at 888-My-WVSOP.

Sure - bring the whole family! But it may depend on the concert and on the age and abilities of your children. Many standard-length classical concerts may be inappropriate for small children because the attention span required is difficult for youngsters to maintain.

We welcome children of any age who are able to sit quietly for about an about hour at a time. One way to accommodate younger attendees who may not be be able to attend the entire concert, is to plan to attend just the first hour, then leave during intermission to ensure they have a great, positive experience!

For other tips, we have a complete guide to introducing children to the orchestra!

Blennerhassett Middle School is the only venue in our area with a stage large enough to accommodate a full symphony orchestra, and then they only barely fit! In fact, if you look carefully, you’ll see that we have to build out the stage and extended it over to the first row of seats to get everyone packed in!

No, sorry. All recording devices and cameras are prohibited at all WVSO concerts —their rules, not ours. Out of courtesy to other concert patrons, we also ask that you please turn off ALL electronic devices while you are attending the concert.

In more than 30 years, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has never cancelled a Parkersburg concert due to weather (…COVID on the other hand…) The decision to cancel a concert is not made locally in Parkersburg. Cancellations are made by the management and administration of the WVSO in Charleston, WV.

Announcement regarding any schedule changes will be communicated via this website and/or our Facebook page.

Sorry, no we cannot. However, if you notify us at least 48 hours before the event, you can donate your tickets back to us as a tax-deductible donation.

Of course, you can also give your ticket to someone else to attend in your place.

Note: Even though WVSO-P is a non-profit organization, the IRS does not consider ticket purchases to be tax deductible, even if the seats are unused by the purchaser. Only tickets that are donated back to WVSO-P in enough time to resell the tickets (48 hours minimum, but more is better!) are eligible to be claimed for tax deduction.