Expect to have a good time, don’t be surprised if you find that you are utterly moved by the live music! It happens often! Let go of your preconceived notions about classical music or the concert experience. Be open to feeling the music with all your senses. Sit back and relax, watch the dynamics between conductor, musicians and soloists. We are pretty sure you will be really glad you attended.

No, just come and enjoy! Over time, concertgoers do find their enjoyment is deeper if they prepare for a concert. This can be as simple as reading the program notes on our website or listening to the works in advance of the concerts. Additionally, you can attend FREE pre-concert Behind the Baton talks before each orchestral performance one hour pre-concert.

You might! You may not know a full piece of music but you may recognize a section. Orchestral music is all around us: in commercials, movie soundtracks, television themes, cartoons etc.. Popular music often quotes classical melodies, as well.

Orchestra Lumos meets you where you are, throughout your neighborhoods—in concert halls, schools, libraries, churches, and even breweries.

Our Palace Series at the Palace Theatre, is where you will experience our full orchestra and hear great orchestral music of the masters in classical music as well as music from some newer generations of composers. These concerts are offered twice within a weekend, on Saturday night at 7:30pm and Sunday afternoon at 3pm.

Our Small Space Series are intimate, immersive concerts created and performed by our musicians in a venue near you.

Explore all of the events in our 2022-2023 Season.

It’s up to you! Wear your jeans, or dress up. You won’t be the only one in the hall dressed in either way! Some people enjoy dressing up and making a special night of it. Often, the Sunday afternoon crowd is more casual than the Saturday night crowd. We just want you to be comfortable, just be you!

Parking is conveniently located for just $3 across the street from the Palace Theatre at Landmark Garage.

Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before concert time, so you can check your coat, find your seat, buy a drink, silence your cell phone, take a look at your surroundings, absorb the atmosphere, and have time to glance through the program book, too. Most concerts start on time.

If you’re late, you may end up listening from the lobby! If that happens, the usher will allow you inside during a suitable pause in the program, so your arrival won’t disturb other concertgoers.

Concerts are typically under 2 hours and include a 20 minute intermission.

Yes please! Use your cell phone to take pictures and post them on your social media networks! We aren’t going to lie, you are our best methods of marketing! We do ask however that you silence your phones and refrain from taking any pictures or video during the actual performance. Cameras and recording devices can be distracting for performers and your fellow audience members.

Many people get confused about when to clap during a work of music. For example, a Beethoven Concerto or a Tchaikovsky Symphony have separate movements or sections (think chapters in a book). After each movement, there is usually a short pause, and it has become the norm, to not clap at these little breaks and save all the clapping for the end (have your program book open and handy to follow the movements). However, there are times when the audience cannot contain themselves especially after we experience a fantastic soloist who just dazzled us with his/her artistry for a whole movement, then, we just all clap! So the short answer is don’t worry too much about it. Hint – watch the conductor between movements—if his arms are still in position and not relaxed, chances are, there is more music coming your way.

It’s a short rest period for the musicians and conductor; they’ll need a break to re-charge their batteries for the second half! It’s also a nice break for you to use the facilities, enjoy a drink or a snack at the lobby concession.

Orchestra Lumos Donors of $1,500 or more, have exclusive access to the Luminary Lounge in the Founder’s Room during intermission on both Saturdays and Sundays for wine and light refreshments.

Kids ages 4 and over are welcome to the Sunday afternoon concerts for FREE with an accompanying adult ticket. Join us at 2pm to take advantage of MusiKids, an interactive program geared just for kids that will preview the concert and give them the opportunity to meet our guest soloist. You know your child best, concerts can be as long as 2 hours. This can be a long time to sit through a concert. We just ask that you be mindful of the audience around you and should you need to leave the hall for a bit, you are welcome to do so.

There are so many resources! It depends what you are looking for. Here are a few of our favorite fun and interesting sites that won’t make you feel like you are studying back in college:

www.wshu.org – go to hear live stream of their classical music shows and various interviews

www.classicfm.com – so much to explore! Live stream their music shows, learn about composers, get a list of the best classical music for beginners and more!

www.npr.org/music/genres/classical/ – a veritable resource of all things classical! They even have a podcast called Classical Classroom that is hosted by Dacia Clay, a music librarian at Houston public media. She is not a music academic and is learning right there with you podcast to podcast. Great for newbies! Click here to get to the podcasts: www.npr.org/podcasts/495471150/classical-classroom

shows.pippa.io/thatclassicalpodcast – Speaking of podcasts, these two British twenty-somethings hosts will have you howling and learning a thing or two on their irreverent podcast called That Classical Podcast.